mpca-winona-dabelstein-yoder eaws comment letter 2 4 13

7/29/2019 MPCA-Winona-Dabelstein-Yoder EAWs Comment Letter 2 4 13

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February4,2013

Mr.JasonGilman

WinonaCountyPlanningandEnvironmentalServicesDepartment

177MainStreet

Winona,MN55987

Re:DabelsteinQuarryandYoderQuarryEnvironmentalAssessmentWorksheets

DearMr.Gilman:

ThankyoufortheopportunitytoreviewandcommentontheEnvironmentalAssessmentWorksheets(EAWs)for

theDabelsteinQuarryandYoderQuarryprojectsinWinonaCounty.TheMinnesotaPollutionControlAgency

(MPCA)staffbelievesthattheinformationprovidedintheEAWsisinsufficienttofullyidentifyandassessthe

environmentaleffects

of

the

projects.

The

MPCA

believes

the

necessary

information

can

be

obtained

and

evaluatedmosteffectivelybypreparinganEnvironmentalImpactStatement(EIS).Consequently,werespectfully

recommendthatWinonaCountymakeapositivedeclarationontheneedforanEISforbothprojectsandinclude

withinthescopeofeachEISappropriatestudiestoobtainthelackinginformationasprovidedinMinn.R.

4410.1700,subp.2a,ItemA.

ThefollowingcommentsareintendedtosupplementpreviouscommentsmadeinourlettersdatedNovember14,

2012(copiesofwhichareattachedforincorporationintotherecordofdecisionandforyourreference).

PhasedandConnectedActionsTheMPCAhaspreviouslynotedconcernsaboutthephasedandconnectedaspectoftheDabelsteinandYoder

Quarryminingoperationsandotherminingoperationsproposedinsamegeographicandenvironmentallyrelevant

area

described

in

the

EAWs

under

Item

29.

This

includes

the

Alice

Dabelstein

Quarry,

the

Boyum

Quarry,

and

the

KesslerQuarryinFillmoreCounty.Theseminingoperationsarelocatedincloseproximitytoeachotherandwill

beoperatedbythesamecompany,MinnesotaSandsLLC.

EnvironmentalQualityBoard(EQB)rulesdirectResponsibleGovernmentalUnits(RGUs)toconsiderphasedactions

orconnectedactionsintotalwhendeterminingtheneedforanEISandinpreparingtheEIS(Minn.R.4410.2000,

subp.4).AccordingtotherulesoftheEQBrules,twoormoreprojectstobeundertakenbythesameproposer

thatwillhaveenvironmentaleffectsonthesamegeographicareaandaresubstantiallycertaintobeundertaken

sequentiallyoveralimitedperiodoftimeareconsideredphasedactions.SeeMinn.R.4410.0200,subp.60.

InlightofthefactualconnectionsbetweentheDabelsteinandYoderminesandtheotherminingoperations,the

MPCAisconcernedthattheprojectsmeetthedefinitionofphasedactionsandshouldbeconsideredtogetherin

oneenvironmentalreviewprocess.TheMPCAalsonotesthatitmaybeappropriateforWinonaCountytoprepare

aRelated

Actions

EIS,

that

is,

asingle

EIS

for

independent

projects

with

potential

cumulative

environmental

impactsonthesamegeographicarea.(Minn.R.4410.2000,subp.5).

Inaddition,connectedactions,definedinMinn.R.4410.0200,subp.9c,areprojectsthataredirectlyinducedby

anotherproject,and/orprojectsthatareaprerequisiteforotherprojectsandnotjustifiedbythemselves.Sand

whichisminedattheDabelsteinandYodersitesandotherneighboringsiteswillofnecessityundergoprocessing

whichmayincludescreening,washing,drying,sifting,andassociatedtransportationandtransfer.Thenatureand

locationoftheseactivitiesandtheirpotentialimpactsasdescribedintheEAWsisnotaddressedtoanysignificant


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J.Gilman

February4,2013

PageTwo

degree.The

MPCA

understands

that

it

may

be

necessary

to

use

sand

drying

equipment

to

process

the

sand.

BecausetherearecurrentlynopermittedheatedsanddryingfacilitiesinWinona,theadditionofasanddrying

componenttoanexistingfacilityinordertoprocessthesandwouldbeanewaspectthatwillhavebeeninduced

bytheproposedminingoperations.Therefore,anEISshouldbepreparedtodiscloseallknownand/orproposed

processingaspectsoftheprojects,andtoassesstheirimpactsandaddressmitigation.

CumulativePotentialEffectsAdditionalinformationanddetailarealsonecessarytoevaluatethenatureandextentofcumulativepotential

effects.AsmentionedintheMPCAsNovember14,2012,comments,acumulativepotentialeffectsanalysisis

applicableandshouldbeobtainedduringtheenvironmentalreview(Minn.R.4410.0200,subp.11a).Thisrequires

ananalysisofspecificprojectsthatmayinteractwiththeproposedprojectsinsuchawayastocausecumulative

impacts.Theproposedprojectsthemselves,addressedinseparateEAWs,shouldbeevaluatedfortheircombined

cumulativepotentialeffects,alongwithotherexistingorplannedfutureprojects.

Asnotedearlier,thereareseveralotherminingprojectswithinthesameenvironmentallyrelevantareainWinona

andFillmoreCounties,aswellasactivitiessuchasprocessingandtransportationthatwouldnecessarilybe

conductedatandbetweenallsites.WhiletheEAWsprovideaninventoryofminingprojectsinthearea

surroundingtheproposedprojects,neitherEAWprovidesacompleteanalysisofthecumulativeimpactsthatmay

occurasaresultoftheirinteractionwitheachother,theotherprojectsandthenaturalresourcesand

communitiesthatmaybeaffected.Therefore,itisnotpossibletoadequatelyassessthecumulativepotential

environmentaleffectsoftheseprojects.Consequently,theEAWsareineffectiveasanassessmenttoolwithregard

tocumulativepotentialeffects.ThepreparationofanEISwouldoffertheopportunitytoobtainlacking

informationoncumulativeeffects.

InsufficientInformationThe

information

presented

in

the

EAWs

is

lacking

specificity

and

detail

in

several

areas

as

described

below.

This

severelylimitstheabilitytoidentifythetypesofimpacts,assessassociatedimpactsandevaluatemitigation

measuresateithertheDabelsteinorYodersites,theotherminingsitesandthesandprocessingsites.Thereare

severalexamplesthatcanbecitedinthisregard,suchas:

Insufficientinformationisprovidedregardingthetypesofactivitiestobeconductedatthequarrysites,theeventualdestinationofsandtakenfromthequarries,thetypesofprocessingorotheractivitiesthat

wouldhavetobeconductedatotherexistingorfuturesitesinMinnesota,includingthepotentialfor

dischargestosurfacewaters.

TheEAWsstateMinnesotaSandscommitmenttoprocess2milliontonsofsandperyearfromWinonaCountysandreservesbutdonotindicateiftheDabelsteinandYoderQuarrieshavetheminingcapacityto

meetthiscommitmentorifotherminesareneeded.

TheEAWsdonotidentitytheneedforanairemissionspermitinItem8(PermitsandApprovalsRequired),nordotheyexplainwhyanairemissionspermitisnotrequiredgiveninEAWItem23

(StationarySourceAirEmissions).However,theEAWsdomentioncrushingoperations.Ifcrushing

operationswilloccuratarateof150ormoretonsperhour,whichappearslikely,federalregulationswill

triggertheneedforanairemissionspermit.AnAirPermitApplicabilityDeterminationorairemissions

permitapplicationshouldbesubmittedforreviewbytheMPCAinordertoobtainthisinformationprior

tocompletingenvironmentalreviewrequirements.


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J.Gilman

February4,2013

PageThree

TheexistenceofimpactsrelatedtothegenerationofdustandtheintenttomitigatetheseimpactsarenotedatmultiplelocationsintheEAWs;however,theseimpactsarenotanalyzedinanymeaningfulway

andthemitigationmeasurestobeemployedareessentiallystatementsofgoodintentionsratherthan

specificrequirementsthatcanbereasonablyexpectedtoeffectivelymitigatetheidentified

environmentalimpacts.Minn.R.4410.1700,subp.7.C.

NeithertheOperationandReclamationPlansnortheStormwaterPollutionPreventionPlansrequiredbytheNonmetallicMineralMining&AssociatedActivitiesGeneralPermitreferencedintheEAWsprovide

anymeaningfuldescriptionofdustcontrolmeasurestobeemployedandrequired.Thisisofparticular

concerninlightofhumanhealthhazardsthatmayberelatedtoelevatedexposurestorespirable

crystallinesilicasandparticulatesassociatedwithfracsandactivities.FugitiveDustControlPlansshould

havebeenpreparedthatprovideddetailedinformationonoperationandmaintenancepracticesthatwill

beimplementedtocontroltheseemissions.

BothEAWsdescribethepotentialtransportingofsandtowashingandprocessingfacilitiesnearWinona;however,noinformationisprovidedonthesefacilities,thesizeandscopeofactivitieslikelytooccurat

thesefacilities,theassociatedimpactsorthemitigationmeasuresthatwillbeneeded.Furthermore,to

theextentthatsandiswashedatsuchfacilities,itmaybenecessarytousesanddryingequipmentsubject

topermittingbytheMPCA.However,therearenopermittedheatedsanddryingfacilitiesinornear

Winona.ThepreparationofanEISwouldbeanappropriatemeanstoobtainandevaluatethislacking

information.

Thebriefdiscussionofpotentialhealthimpactsrelatedtorespirablecrystallinesilicaispotentiallymisleading.Whileenvironmentalexposurestocrystallinesilicamaynotbeasignificantconcerntothe

generalpublic,exposuresofpotentialconcernmaybemorelikelyifpopulationsareclosetolargesources

ofuncontrolled

emissions.

(Ref.

Wisconsin

Department

of

Natural

Resources

Report

to

the

Natural

ResourcesBoard:SilicaStudy,August2011)SeveralsilicasandsitesinWisconsinhavestartedmonitoring

forsilicasandparticlesinthesizerangethatarepotentiallyassociatedwithhealthimpacts.Thisdata

maybeavailableforanalysisduringthetimerequiredtodevelopanEIS.ThepreparationofanEISisan

appropriatemeanstoevaluatethisissueinthecontextofbothprojects.ProjectMagnitudeTheEAWs(Item7)indicatethattheproposedDabelsteinmineis36.5acresinsizeandtheYodermineis84.3acres

insize.BothEAWsindicatethattotalprojectpropertiesencompassmuchlargerareasoflandthanthearea

proposedtobemined;213.1acresand287.8acresrespectively.TheEAWsandtheOperationandReclamation

Plansmentionpotentialfutureexpansionsofthemineareas.AspertheEQBRulesregardingthemandatory

thresholdforanEAW(Minn.R.4410.4300,subp.12b)oranEIS(Minn.R.4410.4400,subp.9b),thetotalareatobe

minedduringtheminesexistencemustbeusedtodeterminetheappropriateenvironmentalreviewdocument.Ifeitherminingareacouldmeetorexceed160acresduringitsexistence,anEISisrequired.Becausefuturemining

expansionsareunderconsiderationandthereisadequatelandcapacityfortheminestoexpand,eachprojecthas

thepotentialtomeetorexceed160acresduringtheminesexistence.Therefore,theEAWsshouldeither

documentthattheminingareaswillnotexceedthesethresholdsduringtheirexistenceoranEISshouldbe

prepared.


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J.Gilman

February4,2013

PageFour

Furthermore,the

proposed

mining

operations

at

the

Alice

Dabelstein

Quarry,

the

Boyum

Quarry,

and

the

Kessler

QuarryinFillmoreCountytotal130acresandarewithin5milesoftheDabelsteinandYoderminesinWinona

County.Asdiscussedpreviously,basedontheinformationpresentedintheEAWsandreviewofMPCAstaff,these

miningoperationsappeartobephasedactionsandassuch,thecumulativeminedareaexceedsthemandatoryEIS

threshold.

ConclusionWeappreciatetheopportunitytoreviewtheseprojects.ThemissionoftheMPCAistoworkwithMinnesotansto

protect,conserveandimprovetheenvironmentandqualityoflife.Wefindthatadditionalanalysisandstudyof

alltheproposedphasedandconnectedprojects,includingcumulativeimpactsanalysis,andmorethorough

discussionoftheproposedminingoperationsandrelatedtransportationandprocessingisneededtofully

understandthepotentialenvironmentalimpactsanddevelopresponsibleplansfortheproposedminingactivities.

TheAgencystandsreadytosupportandassistWinonaCountybyprovidingadditionaltechnicalassistancefor

furtherand

more

comprehensive

review

of

the

proposed

phased

and

connected

projects.

This

additional

review

andanalysiswillincreasetheclarityofthepotentialshortandlongtermimpactsoftheproposedprojects.

PleasebeawarethatthisletterdoesnotconstituteapprovalbytheMPCAofanyorallelementsoftheprojectsfor

thepurposeofpendingorfuturepermitaction(s)bytheMPCA.Ultimately,itistheresponsibilityoftheProjectproposertosecureanyrequiredpermitsandtocomplywithanyrequisitepermitconditions.Pleaseprovideyour

specificresponsestoourcommentsandnoticeofdecisionontheneedforanEIS.Ifyouhaveanyquestions

concerningourreviewoftheseEAWspleasecontactCraigAffeldtat6517572181.

Sincerely,

JohnLincStine

Commissioner

Attachments

cc: FillmoreCountyBoard

CraigAffeldt,MPCA,St.Paul

BobFinley,MPCA,Mankato

GeoffreyG.GriffinGCubedInc.[14070Hwy52SE,Chatfield,MN55923]

BobPatton,EQBExecutiveDirector


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mpca-winona-dabelstein-yoder eaws comment letter 2 4 13

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