The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is holding a public open house and informational meeting regarding a draft air permit for Essar Steel Minnesota. The draft permit authorizes modifications and operations of the company's iron ore mining and taconite pellet production facility in Nashwauk.
The event will be 6 PM to 8 PM on February 9th 2012 at the Nashwauk Keewatin High School. Staff will be available for general information during the open house, which will begin at 6 PM. At 6:30 PM, MPCA staff will provide an overview of the agency's permit process and a description of the changes proposed in this permitting action. A question and answer session will follow, and formal public comments will be taken.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted a supplemental environmental assessment for the project during 2011 and determined that the Final Environmental Impact Statement was adequate, meaning the proposed project may proceed with subsequent permitting applications.
Essar Steel Minnesota's proposed air permit requires the company to:
Burn natural gas for fuel in its pellet plant and steel-production facility
Use air emission control technologies to operate its pellet plant, including special burners designed to minimize nitrogen oxide emissions. Reductions in nitrogen oxide help improve visibility and clear air conditions for nearby areas, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park
Operate its pellet plant using emission controls for mercury. The facility proposes to increase pellet production by 60% while limiting mercury emissions to the level in its current air permit. The facility will use activated carbon injection and bag house collection equipment to control mercury
Convert from wet air-pollution controls to dry air pollutant controls. This will result in lower levels of contaminants in the facility's process water
Use diesel engines that are compliant with the highest certified control standards to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from equipment, such as trucks, shovels and drills
The public comment period for the Essar Steel Minnesota draft air permit runs from January 23rd 2012 through February 22nd 2012
(Sourced from www.grandrapidsmn.com)
