Contact: Ralph Pribble, 651-757-2657
St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for a proposed expansion of the Granite Falls Energy ethanol facility at Granite Falls, Minn. The EAW will be available for the public to comment December 27th through January 26th, 2011.
Granite Falls Energy, LLC proposes to expand its existing fuel-ethanol production facility by increasing its permitted capacity to produce un-denatured ethanol from 49.9 million gallons per year (MMGY) to 70 MMGY. The expansion would be achieved by adding additional equipment to support ethanol production. The additional equipment will be located within the facility’s current property boundary. The primary fuel for the facility will be natural gas.
The expansion requires modification of the facility’s wastewater permit (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/State Disposal System) and air emission permit. The draft modified permits will be placed on public notice on or shortly after the start of the public comment period for the EAW, and will remain open for comment for 30 days.
A public information meeting will be held January 10, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Minnesota West Technical and Community College in Granite Falls. MPCA staff will also be available for one hour before the meeting to answer questions in an open-house format. The purpose of the open house and public information meeting is to answer questions and accept written comments related to the EAW as well as the draft NPDES/SDS and air permits.
The EAW is a 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 must be completed before the MPCA can issue final permits for the project. The MPCA may make changes to the draft permits based on input received during the EAW public comment period and/or on new information gathered as part of the agency’s own review of the project.
Written comments on the GFE expansion project EAW must be received by 4:30 p.m. January 26th, 2011. Comments should be sent to Steve Sommer, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4194.
Copies of the EAW are available for review on the MPCA's website at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html, as well as the following locations:
• MPCA Marshall regional office, 1420 E. College Drive, # 900
• MPCA St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Road North
To request a copy of the EAW, contact Steve Sommer at the MPCA, 651-757-2746 or steve.sommer@state.mn.us. Additional information on the environmental review process is available on the web at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html.
