The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host a public online forum at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 11, to provide information about changing standards for wastewater effluent in the Rock River.
“It’s important to the city and its waste water treatment,” said Forrest Peterson of the MPCA Marshall office.
Luverne’s wastewater plant operates on a five-year permit through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which regulates point sources that discharge pollutants into waters.
When the discharge permit was up for its five-year renewal, MPCA monitoring data revealed a need for better nutrient removal, including phosphorus.
The permit was approved last year with an asterisk that the city needs to address specific pollutants, namely the level of salinity, or salt.
The NPDES cautionary note was one of the reasons truShrimp withdrew its construction plans from Luverne. Investors feared the city’s wastewater treatment wouldn’t be able to accommodate shrimp processing effluent.
Since then, the city launched its $14 million wastewater treatment upgrade to address permit requirements and to meet industrial demands.
Premium Minnesota Pork is paying for half of that upgrade — $6.7 million — in order to support that project and meet its needs when it starts processing this summer.
At the same time, state and local officials are working with the MPCA to revise the current water quality standard to reflect current science.
Essentially the current permit limit and water quality standard is based on outdated science.
The MPCA is now proposing a site-specific water quality standard for salinity in the Rock River downstream from Luverne’s wastewater treatment plant.
If adopted, the new standards would more accurately reflect what is needed to ensure the water can be used for cropland irrigation.
Minnesota rule allows site-specific standards to be developed when local circumstances support a modification to statewide standards. The standards would apply to about 16 miles of the Rock River from Luverne to the Iowa border.
MPCA research shows that the new standard would protect soil health from excess sodium absorption while at the same time contributing to Luverne’s capacity for industrial development.
“Many communities are dealing with waste water issues, meeting the standards, and the often very large cost,” Peterson said. “A site specific standard for this stretch of the Rock River will help the city address the requirements and the costs.”
To access Thursday’s informational meeting via webex, find the link on the MPCA’s website, www.pca.state.mn.us/water/site-specific-water-quality-standards, which also provides an access code and password.
To join by phone, call 415-655-0003, meeting No. 962 594 248.
The public comment period closes at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18. Comments may be directed to Scott Kyser at scott.kyser@state.mn.us or 651- 757-2665.
After that, the MPCA will prepare a Findings of Fact to submit justification to the EPA Region 5 for final approval.