New_EQB_Logo




EQB Monitor




Weekly announcements and environmental review notices





Volume 50, Number 17                                                                                             April 28, 2026






Announcements

*Submit your ideas for improving the MN Environmental Review Program*

We'd like to hear from you! Whether you've petitioned for review or served as a Responsible Governmental Unit, your perspective can help us continuously improve the way that environmental review makes usable information available to decision-makers and the public. Your idea could be anything that pertains to Minnesota's Environmental Review Program rules and procedures. This includes forms, guidance, rules, reports, data management, and more. Share your ideas through the EQB Engagement Platform [ [link removed] ].

*Feedback accepted through May 1, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.  * 






a plum color early stage bud of the Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) in early spring.




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] ].

 

Deep Lake Park [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Park Rapids; Hubbard
*Process: *EAW
*Step: *EAW available
*End of comment period: *May 28, 2026

*Project description: *A new county park at Deep Lake will be developed to include a park entrance road and trail, parking, a picnic shelter, a trailhead building, campgrounds with up to four cabins and 43 campsites, and a restroom building, six cart-in campsites, and mountain bike, hiking, and cross-country ski trails.

*Location of public documents:* Hubbard County Environmental Services, 301 Court Avenue, Park Rapids, MN 56470

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *Hubbard County, Eric Buitenwerf <[email protected]>,
218-732-3890 2356

 

Niron Magnetics EAW [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Sartell; Stearns
*Process: *EAW
*Step: *EIS need decision

*Responsible governmental unit decision: *Negative (no EIS ordered)
*Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: *April 13, 2026

*Project description: *Niron Magnetics proposes to develop a portion of an approximately 63-acre site in Sartell, MN to construct a manufacturing facility in two phases with a finished square footage of approximately 287,000 square feet. The facility will produce rare earth-free permanent magnets using Niron's novel process and material.
Niron Magnetics EAW project link provided by RGU [ [link removed] ]

*Location of public documents:* Sartell City Hall, 125 Pincone Road North, Sartell,
MN 56379

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *City of Sartell, Kari Haakonson <[email protected]>,
320-258-2171

 

Big Woods Business Park AUAR [ [link removed] ]

*Location (city/township; county): *Chaska; Carver
*Process: *Large AUAR
*Step: *AUAR adoption

*Responsible governmental unit decision: *Adequate
*Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: *April 21, 2026

*Project description: *The AUAR study area encompasses an area totaling approximately 359 acres on 17 parcels in the City of Chaska and Dahlgren Township, Carver County, Minnesota. The study area is located northwest of Chaska Boulevard and US 212. Two parcels within the AUAR study area are located within Dahlgren Township; these parcels are intended to be annexed into the City of Chaska. Two development scenarios are proposed to be evaluated in the AUAR. Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 both include Business Park (industrial/office) and Commercial land uses.

*Location of public documents:* Chaska City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza, Chaska, MN 55318

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *City of Chaska, Elizabeth Hanson <[email protected]>,
952-448-9200

 

Crane Energy Storage (ESS-24-406) & Sandhill Energy Storage (ESS-24-407) [ [link removed] ]

**Location (city/township; county):* *Kalmar Township, Olmsted
*Process: *Alternative review

*Notice title: *Notice of Final Permit Decision
*Notice description: *Docket No. IP‐7148/ESS-24-406 & IP-7149/ESS-24-407
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in an order issued on April 8, 2026, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: (1) Adopted the ALJ's Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Recommendations to the extent they are consistent with the Commission's decision; (2) Determined that the Environmental Assessment and the record created at the public hearings and subsequent comment period address the issues identified in the Scoping Decision; (3) Adopted the permit conditions recommended by the ALJ and one modified permit condition (which can be viewed in the issued order and permits) and; (4) Issued the Proposed Site Permits for the Crane Energy Storage Project and Sandhill Energy Storage Project in Olmsted County, Minnesota. 

*Project description: *The Crane & Sandhill Energy Storage Projects are battery energy storage systems (BESS) with respective nominal power ratings of up to 200 MW alternative current (AC) with approximately 800 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy capacity in Kalmar Township in Olmsted County. In addition to batteries, racking, and enclosures, the facilities will also include inverts and transformers, a stormwater drainage basin, storage and parkin areas, and fencing surrounding the perimeter of the facility. The Projects will also include three shared project facilities, including the collector substation, gen-tie line, and primary access road. The facilities will be connected to the electrical grid through a 161 kilovolt (kV) gen-tie line of approximately 700 feet between the shared project substation and the adjacent Bryon Substation.

*Location of public documents:* Rochester Public Library, 607 1st Street NW Rochester, MN 55944

*Responsible governmental unit and contact: *Minnesota Public Utilities Commission,
Jacques Harvieux <[email protected]>, 651-201-2233

 

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.

*Date*



*Location*



*County*



*Waterbody*



*Species*



*Count*



4/16/2026



Vineland



Mille Lacs



Rum River



Northern Pike, White sucker



500



4/20/2026



Apple Valley



Dakota



Cobblestone Lake



Bluegill, Crappie



Not quantified



 

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

Facebook [ [link removed] ]   Twitter [ [link removed] ]   LinkedIn [ [link removed] ]   you tube [ [link removed] ] SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

Bookmark and Share [ [link removed] ]



body .abe-section-table {max-width:601px !important;} body .abe-column-block {min-height: 5px;} ________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Environmental Quality Board · 520 Lafayette Road North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]