Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 Marshall, Minn. - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has prepared an environmental review of a proposed asphalt storage and loading facility at Asbury, about four miles north of Granite Falls. The Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is now available for public review and comment through Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Duininck Brothers Inc. proposes to build a storage tank and associated equipment to load, store and unload asphalt cement in Section 3 of Granite Falls Township, Chippewa County, with the possible addition of up to three more tanks in the future. The proposed initial tank would be 130 feet in diameter, 45 feet high, and would have a capacity of 3,971,000 gallons. The 19.5-acre site is adjacent to a railroad siding, which would be used to deliver asphalt cement by rail about six times during the operating season of April through November. The asphalt cement would be kept heated at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and loaded into about 10 tanker trucks daily for delivery to construction projects. A secondary containment berm would be built to hold 110 percent of the total capacity of the four tanks. Future addition of tanks will require a modification of the facility's MPCA major facility permit. Any change in the product being stored in the tanks would require a modification of the permit, and may require additional environmental review at the time it is proposed. The EAW describes the project and its potential environmental impact in areas such as water resources, wildlife, land and water use, and air quality. Comments on the Duininck Brothers Inc. EAW should be submitted to the MPCA in writing by 4:30 p.m. on March 25, 2009 to Karen Kromar, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194, or by fax to 651-297-2343. Written comments must include the following:
- A statement of your interest in the draft EAW;
- A statement of the action you wish the MPCA to take, including references to specific sections; and
- Specific reasons supporting your position. The MPCA will use these comments to evaluate the potential for significant environmental effects from the project, and to decide if an Environmental Impact Statement, a more comprehensive environmental review, is needed. Copies of Duininck Brothers Inc. EAW are available for review at:
- The MPCA's St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Rd. N.
- The MPCA's Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html
- MPCA Willmar office, 1601 E. Hwy. 12.
Copies may also be requested directly from the MPCA by calling 320-214-3786. Questions about the project should be directed to Karen Kromar at 651-757-2508, or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864.