Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Cori Rude-Young, 651-296-5965 St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking comments on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet that has been prepared for proposed construction of a new, fenced rail yard for Marathon Petroleum Company LLC. The draft EAW is open for public comment until 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2008. Marathon is proposing to construct a new, fenced rail yard adjacent to the existing Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) St. Paul Rail Yard in the city of St. Paul. The proposed rail yard will be used to store up to a maximum of 170 empty, partially-full or full railcars. Together, these railcars will have a product storage capability of approximately 8.4 million gallons of liquid petroleum gas, asphalt and ethanol. The empty rail cars will have previously contained asphalt, roofing flux, caustic and sulfur. The proposed rail yard will be located on CPR property, and Marathon will lease the property from CPR. It is anticipated construction at the proposed rail yard will begin in the spring of 2009 and be completed in late summer 2009. The EAW, a preliminary environmental review looking at how a proposed project could potentially affect the environment, is open to a 30-day public review and comment period. Comments on the Marathon Petroleum Company Rail Yard EAW should be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2008, to Karen Kromar, MPCA Regional Division, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194, or by fax to 651-297-2343. The MPCA will use these comments to evaluate the potential for significant environmental effects from the project and decide if an Environmental Impact Statement, a more comprehensive environmental review, is needed. Copies of the Marathon Petroleum Company Rail Yard EAW are available for review at: MPCA's St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Rd. N. or the MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html. Copies may also be requested directly from Karen Kromar at the MPCA by calling 651-296-6300 or 1-800-657-3864. Telephone inquiries related to the project should be directed to Karen Kromar at numbers listed above.