Legalectric

Photo of Maiden Rock frac sand mining operation across the river

The MPCA has announced a frac sand mining air permit comment period for the mine proposed in Scott County near Shakopee.

I believe this is the first frac sand mining permit to go through MPCA air permitting (I’ll check). Here’s the MPCA’s Frac Sand Mining Page.

If you write comments, there are specific things that have to be included, it says “must” in the Notice and “shall” in the rules, so I think they mean it.  Here’s what the rules say about comments:

Subp. 2. Contents of written comments.

A person who submits comments under subpart 1 shall include in the comments the following:

A. a statement of the person’s interest in the permit application or the draft permit;

B. a statement of the action the person wishes the agency to take, including specific references to sections of the draft permit that the person believes should be changed; and

C. the reasons supporting the person’s position, stated with sufficient specificity as to allow the commissioner to investigate the merits of the person’s positions.

You may request a contested case, and that must be done under Minn. R. 7000.1800 Petition for Contested Case.  If you plan to do that, also check out Minn. R. 7000.1900 Criteria to Hold Contested Case Hearing.

Send Comments and Petitions by August 27, 2012 to the MPCA:

Steve Gorg, Air Quality Permits Section

Industrial Division, MPCA

520 LaFayette Road North

St. Paul, MN  55155

steven.gorg@state.mn.us

Here are the primary documents from the MPCA site:

Intent to Issue Air Emission Permit to Great Plains Sand LLC, Shakopee – Notice Full Text

Draft Air Emission Permit

Technical Support Document