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EQB Monitor




Weekly announcements and environmental review notices





Volume 48, Number 3                                                                                          January 16, 2024






Announcements

*Updates to the EQB Website*

We’re excited to share that our new website will go live Thursday, January 18th! We’ve worked closely with the MNIT team to make many improvements and updates to the website. We hope you’ll find it easier to find information, access links, and learn more about what we do. While the website will be live Thursday, we will continue to make tweaks and fix any issues from the migration.
Please email [email protected] if there’s any information you can’t find or run across any issues. Contact [email protected] for any "EQB Monitor" page issues.

 

*Environmental Quality Board meeting*

*Wednesday, January 17, 1-4 p.m.*
Join us virtually for the January 2024 Environmental Quality Board meeting. At this meeting, the Board will hear a workplan update, a recap of the strategic plan, and the objectives for the February board meeting. The Board will also hear an overview of the 2024 Environment & Energy Report Card and will vote on approval. More information about the meeting, including the meeting packet and virtual meeting information, can be found on the board meeting webpage [ [link removed] ].






Beautiful golden sunrise over ocean, lake horizon




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 [ [link removed] ].

 

Hermantown Business Park [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Hermantown; St. Louis
*Process: *Large AUAR
*Step: *AUAR adoption

*Responsible governmental unit decision: *Adequate
*Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: *January 8, 2024

*Project description: *The proposed maximum development scenario would construct a business park consisting of buildings with a combined area of up to 942,000 square feet. Project components include construction of commercial, warehouse/office buildings, parking areas, access roads, sanitary sewer and potable water services, and stormwater management ponds. Portions of the AUAR Study Area are currently used for light industrial, storage, and open space.

*Link to public documents: *Hermantown Business Park AUAR adoption [ [link removed] ]
*Location of public documents:* City of Hermantown, 5105 Maple Grove Road, Hermantown, MN 55811

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *City of Hermantown, Eric Johnson <[email protected]>,
218-729-3618

 

UMORE Study Area [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Rosemount; Dakota
*Process: *AUAR update
*Step: *AUAR update adoption

*Responsible governmental unit decision: *Adequate
*Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: *December 21, 2023

*Project description: *The City of Rosemount has updated the AUAR for the UMORE Study Area. This is the second AUAR update and approximately 715 acres of the 4,900 acres study area has now received development approval.

*Link to public documents: *UMORE Study Area AUAR update adoption [ [link removed] ]
*Location of public documents:* Robert Trail Library, 14395 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount,
MN 55068

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *City of Rosemount, Anthony Nemcek <[email protected]>,
651-322-2090

 

Cedar Lake Reroute Project [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Lanesburgh; Le Sueur County, Wheatland; Rice County, and Helena and Cedar Lake; Scott County
*Process: *Alternative review
*End of comment period: *February 7, 2024

*Notice title: *Notice of Environmental Assessment Availability, Public Hearings, and Comment Period
*Notice description: *An Environmental Assessment has been prepared and made available for the proposed Cedar Lake Reroute Project. Public Hearings will be held on January 24 and 25, 2024, and a comment period is open until 4:30 pm on February 7, 2024.
*Project description: *Great River Energy (GRE) filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) for a route permit to construct approximately 6.3-mile 115 kV transmission line. The transmission line will connect at GRE's existing MV-EVX 115 kV transmission line near the intersection of County Road 23 and Minnesota Highway 19 and extend to the existing Cedar Lake Substation south of County Road 2. The Project will initially operate at 69 kV; designing to 115 kV standards will simplify operating the regional transmission system at 115 kV as electrification and load development increases in the area. Once the transmission line is constructed and connected to the substation, GRE's existing 4.5-mile MV-CDT 115 kV transmission circuit, which is co-located in part on the CapX2020 345 kV transmission structures along County Road 2, will be removed.

*Link to public documents: *Cedar Lake Reroute Project alternative review [ [link removed] ]
*Location of public documents:* New Prague City Hall - Planning Department, 118 Central Ave N New Prague, MN 56071

*First Public meeting date, time, location: *January 24, 2024, 6:00 p.m., New Prague Fire Dept, 505 5th Ave NW, New Prague, MN 56071
*Second public meeting date, time, location: *January 25, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Online meeting
**Second p*ublic meeting virtual link: *[link removed]
**Second p*ublic meeting additional details:* Event Password, if needed: qnFe4S3UjN9 Access Code: 2495 721 1645 Call-in: 1-855-282-6330

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *Minnesota Department of Commerce - EERA, Richard Davis <[email protected]>, 507-380-6859

 

Long Duration Energy Storage Project [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Becker; Sherburne
*Process: *Alternative review
*End of comment period: *January 30, 2024

*Notice title: *Xcel Energy Long Duration Energy Storage Project - Environmental Assessment
*Notice description: *The purpose of and reason for the Environmental Assessment is to comply with environmental review requirements for local review of an energy storage system (Minnesota Statute § 216E.05; Minnesota Session Laws Ch. 60, Art. 12, Sec. 56; and Minnesota Rules 7850.5300).
*Project description: *Xcel Energy proposes to construct a 10-megawatt / 1,000 MW hour multi-day iron-air battery energy storage system in Becker, Minnesota (Docket No. E002/LR-23-367). The LDES facility will be located on approximately 10 acres of undeveloped fields between U.S. Highway 10 and the Mississippi River, on the east side of the existing Sherco Generating Plant. The project will supplement power distribution to the grid from the future Sherco Solar Project (Docket No. E-002/TL-21-189, E-002/TL-21-190, E-002/GS-21-191), which is anticipated to replace power generation capacity from Unit 2 of the Sherco Generating Plant which ceased operations at the end of 2023.

*Link to public documents: *Long Duration Energy Storage Project alternative review [ [link removed] ]
*Location of public documents:* City of Becker, 12060 Sherburne Ave, Becker, MN 55308

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *City of Becker, Jacob Sanders <[email protected]>,
763-200-4242

 

General notices

Notices published in this section may be required under Minnesota Statute or Rule.

Notice of Public Information and Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Meetings

*Notice description: *PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) and Minnesota Department of Commerce will hold public information and environmental impact statement (EIS) scoping meetings on the applications of Xcel Energy for a certificate of need and a route permit for the Minnesota Energy Connection Project, a new approximately 171- to 174-mile 345-kilovolt (kV) double-circuit transmission line between Sherburne and Lyon counties. PUC Docket Numbers: CN-22-131 (Certificate of Need) and TL-22-132 (Route Permit). Written comments will be accepted through February 21, by 4:30 p.m. Comments may be submitted via Online: [link removed]; Email: [email protected] (Include “22-131 22-132 Scoping Comment” in subject line); U.S. Mail: Andrew Levi, Minnesota Department of Commerce, 85 7th Place East, Suite 280, St. Paul, MN 55101.

*Link to additional information: *Minnesota Energy additional information [ [link removed] ]

*Contact: *Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Scott Ek <[email protected]>, 651-539-1070

 

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 [ [link removed] ]. Call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 to report fish kills.

*No fish kill reports were received since the last publication.*

 

Submit a notice to the "EQB" "Monitor"

The "EQB Monitor" is a weekly publication announcing environmental review documents, public comment periods and other actions of the Environmental Quality Board. The "EQB Monitor" is published every Tuesday at noon. Submissions to the "EQB Monitor [ [link removed] ]" are due by 4:00 p.m. on the Tuesday one week prior to the intended publication date. Please see the "EQB Monitor" schedule [ [link removed] ] for more details.

 

To submit a notice for publication:

Access the EQB monitor submission service [ [link removed] ]

 

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].


















Minnesota Environmental Quality Board

*Environmental Quality Board | eqb.state.mn.us [ [link removed] ] *

Email: [email protected] | Phone: 651-757-2873

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