Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Dan Olson, 218-846-7390 Alberta, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for a proposed ethanol plant near Alberta, west of Morris. The public comment period for the EAW ends Aug. 29. APEC LLC, is proposing a facility with the capacity to produce 110 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol annually, using natural gas for steam generation. As a by-product, the facility would also produce 360,000 tons of dried distillers grains a year, and 47,000 tons of wet distillers grains. The plant would use a maximum of 1,000 gallons per minute from two ground water sources. The facility would not discharge wastewater. The EAW is a preliminary environmental review of how a proposed project could potentially affect the environment. The EAW also helps the MPCA determine if an Environmental Impact Statement, a more in-depth environmental review, is needed. The EAW is necessary for the MPCA to issue a permit for the project. The MPCA may make changes to the permit based on input it receives during the EAW public comment period and/or on new information gathered as part of its own review of the project. Comments on the APEC ethanol project should be submitted in writing by Aug. 29 to Debra Moynihan, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4194. Copies of the EAW are available for review on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html, as well as the following locations: - The public libraries in Hancock and Morris - MPCA Detroit Lakes office, 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 220 - MPCA St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Road North To request a copy of the EAW, contact Debra Moynihan, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4194. She can also be reached by phone at 651-296-8420 or by fax at 651-297-2343. Additional information on the environmental review process is available on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html.