Weekly announcements and environmental review notices

Volume 47, Number 34                                                                                         August 22, 2023

Environmental review project notices

EQB publishes environmental review notices provided by responsible governmental units. For more information on a project undergoing environmental review, click on the individual project links below. You can also find information about active projects in your community on the Environmental Review Projects Interactive Map.

Summit Avenue Trail Project

Location: Saint Paul
Process: Petition
Step: RGU assignment
Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Saint Paul, Josh Williams,
651-266-6659

South Fork of Rush Creek Restoration Project

Location (city/township; county): Maple Grove; Hennepin
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: September 21, 2023

Project description: The City of Maple Grove is proposing a stream restoration project on the South Fork of Rush Creek. The Project would replace 5,260 linear feet of unstable, incised creek with 5,425 linear feet of creek with a stable meander pattern. The realignment will reconnect the stream with its floodplain, stabilize banks, reduce bank erosion, improve in-stream habitat, and improve water quality.

Link to public documents: South Fork of Rush Creek Restoration Project EAW
Location of public documents: Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway North, Maple Grove, MN 55369

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Maple Grove, Derek Asche,
763-494-6354

Swift Coulee Channel Restoration Project

Location (city/township; county): Alma Township; Marshall
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: September 21, 2023

Project description: The Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District is proposing the restoration of the Swift Coulee from the 360th Ave NW to Marshall County Highway 3. The restoration will provide greater flood damage reduction to agricultural fields and public transportation infrastructure while also providing natural resource enhancements and water quality benefits to the Swift Coulee and downstream receiving waters. The projects construction and permitting will be completed in phases. This EAW will cover the project in its entirety, across all phases of the project.

Link to public documents: Swift Coulee Channel Restoration Project EAW
Location of public documents: Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District, PO Box 154, Warren, MN 56762

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District, Morteza Maher, 218-745-4741

Burnsville Residential Project

Location (city/township; county): Burnsville; Dakota
Process: EAW
Step: EIS need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: Negative (EIS not ordered)
Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: August 11, 2023

Project description: MWF Properties LLC (MWF) prepared an EAW for five residential developments east of the I-35W/Burnsville Parkway interchange in Burnsville's Transit-Oriented Development District. Concorde Flats and Villas I is under construction and Villas II construction would begin in fall 2023. MWF included two potential future project phases in the EAW, Parkway and Diamondhead. The projects would provide approximately 500 units of attached residential housing to the area.

Location of public documents: City of Burnsville, Community Planning, 100 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville, MN 55337

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Burnsville, Sarah Madden,
952-895-4424

Prospectors Loop Trail System Phase 2 (Connect Four)

Location (city/township; county): Hoyt Lakes; St. Louis
Process: EAW
Step: EIS need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: Negative (EIS not ordered)
Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: August 15, 2023

Project description: The Prospectors Trail Alliance (Club) is proposing four new ATV trail segments and a connecting spur as part of Phase 2 (also termed "Connect Four" segments) of the greater Prospectors Loop Trail for off-highway vehicles. Approximately 59.14 miles of trail are included. The segments provide new connections to existing trails and amenities in northern St. Louis County.

Location of public documents: DNR library, 500 Lafayette Road N, St Paul, MN 55155

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Becky Horton, 651-259-5122

Thomson Reservoir Sediment Remediation

Location (city/township; county): Carlton; Carlton
Process: EAW
Step: EIS need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: Negative (EIS not ordered)
Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: August 10, 2023

Project description: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will conduct environmental cleanup in the Thomson Reservoir in the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC). The objectives are to prevent contaminated sediment exposure to benthic organisms and other aquatic life, and to improve aquatic habitat. The project consists of applying a thin layer of powdered activated carbon (PAC) in a pelletized form over sediments in areas of the reservoir where sediment contaminants exceed the cleanup criteria.

Link to public documents: Thomson Reservoir Sediment Remediation EIS need decision
Location of public documents: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road North, Saint Paul, MN 55155

Responsible governmental unit and contact: MPCA, Pamela Foster, 218-302-6619

Waterford Township Limestone Quarry

Location (city/township; county): Waterford Township; Dakota
Process: EIS
Step: EIS Scoping EAW and Draft Scoping Decision
End of comment period: September 21, 2023

Project description: Bryan Rock Products, Inc. (Bryan Rock) proposes to develop a new limestone quarry on property located in Waterford Township, Dakota County, Minnesota. Quarry operations will include topsoil and overburden removal, dewatering, blasting, extraction, processing (crushing, washing, screening,) stockpiling, loading, hauling, and reclamation.

Link to public documents: Waterford Township Limestone Quarry EIS Scoping EAW and Draft Scoping Decision
Location of public documents: Northfield Public Library, 210 Washington Street, Northfield, MN 55057

Public meeting date, time, location: September 6, 2023, 7:00 p.m., Sciota Town Hall, 30038 Alta Avenue, Northfield, MN, 55057
Public meeting additional details: The Public Scoping Meeting will be held from 7-9 PM.

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Waterford Township, Elizabeth Wheeler, 651-346-8467

Minnesota Power HVDC Modernization Project

Location: Hermantown, St. Louis
Process: Alternative review

Notice title: Notice of Public Information and Environmental Assessment Scoping Meetings
Notice description: The Public Utilities Commission and Department of Commerce are holding public information and environmental assessment scoping meetings on the certificate of need and route permit applications for the proposed Minnesota Power HVDC Modernization project. Both meetings start at 6 PM: the in-person meeting on August 29th at Solway Town Hall in Cloquet, and the virtual meeting on August 30th via Webex (see below). Commerce is seeking comments for scoping considerations in the Environmental Assessment through September 13, 2023.
Project description: To modernize the Minnesota terminal of the existing Square Butte high voltage direct current (HVDC) line that runs from North Dakota to Northeast Minnesota, a new terminal, new substation, and three high voltage transmission lines, each less than one mile, are proposed on a new site near the existing Arrowhead Substation in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Link to public documents: Minnesota Power HVDC Modernization Project Alternative Review
Location of public documents: Duluth Public Library – Main Library, 520 W. Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802

Public meeting date, time, location: August 29, 2023, 6:00 p.m., Solway Town Hall, 4029 Munger Shaw Road, Cloquet, MN, 55720
Public meeting date, time, location: August 30, 2023, 6:00 p.m., Online meeting
Public meeting virtual link: https://minnesota.webex.com/minnesota/j.php?MTID=maf5e9354e2c70ad0907ee24cf49e3d09
Public meeting additional details: Meeting No: 2486 372 4368 Call-In No: 1-855-282-6330 Access Code: 2486 372 4368 Password: knQp8D4K7NU If you are joining the meeting by WebEx and would like to ask a question or make a comment during the designated portion of the meeting, use the chat function to send a message to the meeting moderator. If you are joining the meeting by phone, press *3 on your phone.

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Department of Commerce, Jenna Ness, 651-539-1693

Fish kill reports

Minnesota Duty Officer reports pertaining to fish kills are summarized in the following table, in accordance with 103G.216, REPORTING FISH KILLS IN PUBLIC WATERS, Subd. 2 Reporting Requirement. These reports were received via the Minnesota Duty Officer prior to the submission deadline for this edition of the EQB Monitor. They represent the raw data/information provided by callers. For more information regarding fish kills in Minnesota see the Department of Natural Resources. Call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 to report fish kills.

Access the EQB monitor submission service

Questions? Contact EQB by phone at 651-757-2873 or email us at [email protected]. 

For more information on environmental review, please visit the EQB website or contact us at [email protected].