Contact: Ralph Pribble, 651-757-2657
The MPCA Citizens' Board will hold a special board meeting on Monday, March 26, 2012, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is for the board to hear comment on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) on a proposed amendment to the air quality permit for a metal recycling facility operated by Northern Metals in North Minneapolis.
The meeting will begin with a presentation from MPCA staff to the board on the EAW. Interested parties may provide comment to the Citizens’ Board following the presentation. The meeting will be held in the board room of the MPCA's office in St. Paul, at 520 Lafayette Rd. N. The meeting will end by 5:00 p.m.
The special board meeting occurs one day before the board's regularly scheduled monthly meeting. During the board's regular meeting the next day, they will discuss the Northern Metals EAW and public comments received, and will vote on the adequacy of the EAW. The regular board meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. Although the draft amended air emissions permit will be discussed in the context of the EAW at these meetings, the permit itself is not before the board for a decision at this point. That will come at a future date, to be determined and announced later.
Agendas for the meetings and documents related to the Northern Metals item are available on the MPCA Citizens’ Board page.
Northern Metals proposes a major modification of its air emission permit to:
- include additions to pollution control equipment,
- eliminate obsolete permit requirements,
- modify other permit requirements to reflect actual emission rates achieved in practice, and
- eliminate feedstock restrictions to allow the facility to shred whole auto hulks and other metals such as aluminum, brass, stainless steel and copper.
The proposal includes only permit changes, no new construction.
Meetings of the MPCA Citizens' Board are public, and the MPCA is expecting a large number of people to attend these meetings. Overflow space will be provided in case more people want to attend than can be accommodated in the board room.
The MPCA has a limited number of visitor parking spots available in its lot on the north side of the building; for other public parking available in the vicinity, visit the MPCA St. Paul Office page. Shuttle service to remote parking lots will be provided.
All visitors to the MPCA must sign in with photo ID at the security desk inside the front entrance, located on the north side of the building. The board room is on the lower level of the building, opposite the elevators. If the board room fills, signs will be posted in the lobby directing visitors to overflow rooms, which will be equipped with audiovisual links.
Requests to provide comment to the board during the meetings on Monday and Tuesday must be made in advance to the board administrator (651-757-2025 or citizensboard.pca@state.mn.us) or by filling out a request to comment form on the day of the meeting and providing it to the board administrator. The board chair will call on commenters who have requested to comment at the appropriate time.
