HERC Environmental Assessment Worksheet

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET Note to preparers: An electronic version of this Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) form and a fact sheet on preparing one are available at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Web site http://www.pca.state.mn.us/programs/envr_p.html. A booklet, EAW Guidelines, is also available at the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) Web site http://www.eqb.state.mn.us or by calling 651-201-2492. The EAW provides information about a project that may have the potential for significant environmental effects. The EAW is prepared by the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) or its agents to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be prepared. The project proposer must supply any reasonably accessible data for — but should not complete — the final worksheet. If a complete answer does not fit in the space allotted, attach additional sheets as necessary. The complete question as well as the answer must be included if the EAW is prepared electronically. Note to reviewers: The Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) provides information about a project that may have the potential for significant environmental effects. This EAW was prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), acting as the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU), to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be prepared. The project proposer supplied reasonably accessible data for, but did not complete the final worksheet. Comments on the EAW must be submitted to the MPCA during the 30-day comment period which begins with notice of the availability of the EAW in the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) Monitor. Comments on the EAW should address the accuracy and completeness of information, potential impacts that are reasonably expected to occur that warrant further investigation, and the need for an EIS. A copy of the EAW may be obtained from the MPCA by calling 651-757-2101. An electronic version of the completed EAW is available at the MPCA Web site http://www.pca.state.mn.us/news/eaw/index.html#open-eaw. 1. Project Title: Hennepin Energy Resource Company Capacity Optimization 2. Proposer: Covanta Hennepin Energy 3. RGU: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Resource Company LP Contact Person Dan Fish Contact Person Steve Sommer and Title Environmental Engineer and Title Project Manager Address 505 Sixth Avenue North Address 520 Lafayette Road North Minneapolis, MN 55405 St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194 Phone (612) 332-9428 Phone (651) 757-2746 Fax (612) 333-7347 Fax (651) 297-2343 E-mail [email protected] E-mail [email protected] 4. Reason for EAW Preparation: EIS Mandatory Citizen RGU Proposer Scoping EAW Petition Discretion x Volunteered If EAW or EIS is mandatory give EQB rule category subpart number and name: p-ear1-04 TDD (for hearing and speech impaired only): 651-282-5332 Printed on recycled paper containing 30% fibers from paper recycled by consumers Minnesota Rules Chapter (Minn. R. ch.) 4410.4300 subp. 17d requires the preparation of an EAW “for the construction or expansion of a mixed municipal solid waste energy recovery facility or incinerator, or the utilization of an existing facility for the combustion of mixed municipal solid waste or refuse derived fuel, with a capacity of 30 or more tons per day of input”. Covanta Hennepin Energy Resource Company LP (Covanta) proposes to remove the fuel use limit contained in Air Emission Permit No. 05300400 – 003 issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and proposes to modify the Conditional Use Permit #61061 for the Hennepin Energy Resource Company (HERC), a mass-burn municipal waste combustor owned by Hennepin County and operated by Covanta. The Air Emission Permit and Condition #1 of the Minneapolis Conditional Use Permit limit HERC’s throughput of municipal solid waste (MSW) to 365,000 tons per year (tpy) or an annual average of 1,000 tons per day (tpd). Covanta proposes to allow HERC to process at its design capacity of 442,380 tpy. The language in Minn. R. ch. 4410.4300 subp. 17d suggests that Covanta’s proposal may be subject to a mandatory EAW. However, Minn. R.ch. 4410.0200 subp. 28 defines “expansion” as “an extension of the capability of a facility to produce or operate beyond its existing capacity. It excludes repairs or renovations that do not increase the capacity of the facility”. Furthermore, Minn. R. ch. 4410.0200 subp. 6a defines “capacity” as “the maximum daily operational input volume a facility is designed to process on a continuing basis”. Covanta is not proposing to change the design capacity of HERC. This EAW is being prepared at the discretion of the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU), the MPCA. 5. Project Location: County Hennepin City/Twp Minneapolis NE 1/4 SW 1/4 Section 22 Township 29N Range 24W GPS Coordinates: Facility center point N 44.9828 W 93.2803 Tax Parcel Number Tables, Figures, and Appendices attached to the EAW: Tables Table 1 –Fuel Use Summary Table 2– Building Height Summary Table 3 – Permits and Approvals Table 4 - 2009 Rejected Waste Summary Table 5 – 2005 to 2009 Landfill Leachate Data Summary Table 6 - Projected Annual Rejected Waste Summary Table 7- Facility Chemical Use and Handling Table 8 - Petroleum Product Storage Table 9 - HERC Emission Sources Table 10 - Summary of Potential and Actual Emissions for the MSW Combustors Table 11 - Summary of Future Potential and Projected Actual Emissions for MSW Combustors Table 12 - CO2e Emissions Summary Table 13 – Summary of Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table 14 - National Ambient Air Quality Standards Table 15 – Minnesota Ambient Air Quality Standards Hennepin Energy Resource Company Fuel Use Limit Removal Environmental Assessment Hennepin County Minnesota 2 Worksheet Table 16 – Summary of Ambient Air Quality Modeling Analysis Table 17 – Summary of Long-Term Risk Table 18 - Summary of Acute Inhalation Risk based on Maximum Modeled 1-hour Concentration Table 19 – IEUBK Modeled Incremental Blood Lead Levels Table 20 -Table 19 Cumulative Inhalation Risk Table 21- Summary of 2006 Noise Monitoring Data Table 22 - MPCA Noise Area Classification Standards Appendix A – Figures Figure 1 - Site Location in Hennepin County Figure 2 – Site Topographic Map Figure 3 – Site Plan Figure 4 – Project Location Map Figure 5 – Land Use Map Figure 6 – HERC Water Process Flow Diagram Figure 7 – HERC Storm Sewer Connections Figure 8 – HERC Chemical Storage Figure 9 – Traffic Counts Figure10 – HERC Odor Analysis Sampling Site Locations Figure 11 – Noise Monitoring Sites Figure 12 – Warehouse Districts, Minneapolis and National Register Designation Appendix B – DNR Division of Ecological Resources Correspondence Appendix C – Facility Documents x 2008 Production Summary x 2009 Production Summary x HERC Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan x HERC Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan x HERC Biogenic CO2 Sample Results 6. Description: a. Provide a project summary of 50 words or less to be published in the EQB Monitor. Covanta proposes to remove the fuel use limit from Air Emission Permit No. 05300400–003, which limits annual fuel use to 365,000 tpy and allow HERC to process up to its design capacity of 442,380 tpy. However, the actual throughput will likely reach only 405,000 tpy due to operational constraints. b. Give a complete description of the proposed project and related new construction. Attach additional sheets as necessary. Emphasize construction, operation methods and features that will cause physical manipulation of the environment or will produce wastes. Include modifications to existing equipment or industrial processes and significant demolition, removal or remodeling of existing structures. Indicate the timing and duration of construction activities. Covanta proposes to remove the fuel use limit contained in Air Emission Permit No. 05300400 – 003 issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and proposes to modify the Conditional Use Permit #61061 for HERC, a mass-burn MSW combustor owned by Hennepin County and operated by Covanta. Hennepin Energy Resource Company Fuel Use Limit Removal Environmental Assessment Hennepin County Minnesota 3 Worksheet The HERC location and layout are shown in Figures 1-4. The City of Minneapolis issued CUP #61061 for the HERC on April 10, 1987, prior to its construction. At the time the CUP was issued, Minnesota Statutes (Minn. Stat.) § 383B.235 limited the average daily throughput of a resource recovery facility built in the City of Minneapolis to 1,000 tpd. In January 2000, Minn. Stat. § 383B.235 was revised to eliminate the 1,000 tpd limit (Minnesota Session Laws 2000, ch. 488, art. 3, sec. 30): “Existing facility may use its capacity. Notwithstanding subdivisions 1 and 2, an existing resource recovery facility may reclaim, burn, use, process, or dispose of mixed municipal solid waste to the full extent of its maximum yearly capacity as of January 1, 2000. The facility must comply with all federal and state environmental laws and regulations and must obtain a conditional use permit from the municipality where the facility is located.” Project Description By original design, HERC has a rated daily processing capacity of 1,212 tpd of MSW which equates to a maximum yearly capacity of 442,380 tons per year (tpy). Covanta intends to modify the HERC’s Clean Air Act Title V Permit (#05300400) to remove the state only limit on fuel usage of 365,000 tpy. Correspondingly, Covanta also intends to change the language of CUP Condition #1 in accordance with the January 2000 Minn. Stat. modification to allow HERC to process MSW at its design capacity. Operating at design capacity will not require any physical or operational modifications to existing equipment or industrial processes or the demolition, removal, or remodeling of existing structures. Covanta maintains compliance with the 365,000 tpy fuel use limit by controlling HERC’s processing rate and managing maintenance downtime. HERC routinely achieves a fuel use rate of greater than 1,000 tpd.

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