Sand processor gets state permit, could be operating soon

The air quality permit for the Tiller Corp sand processing plant has been issued and site work is underway at the plant on 415th Street in North Branch to ready it for operations. The MN Pollution Control Agency approved conditions in the permit last week.

The emissions parameters are pretty much what was described at the public hearing held in North Branch a few months ago and detailed in other stories here. The Tiller crew is also going to sweep the entrance road and roadways inside the plant at least weekly. On a daily basis the employees at the facility will do visual inspections and record their observations in a log, to determine air clarity in and around the plant.

The stockpiles of silica sand (two outdoor storage and one indoor storage piles) will be monitored for their moisture content which has to be maintained to prevent dust. There is a vegetative berm going in the length of the site on the west edge. Meanwhile, the findings or substantiation for denying the citizens’ request for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, were released the last day of January. The denial of the EAW petition was announced a few weeks ago but state findings were formalized for public release. According to the Pollution Control Agency the citizens petitioning for an EAW basically did not include any evidence that the sand processing project meets any thresholds for additional environmental review.

The Pollution Control Agency determined that Tiller Corp is cooperating with regulators on traffic issues and special air monitoring require- ments noted as citizen concerns in the petition for the EAW. The denial “findings” report that Chisago County is involved in a Tiller-funded traffic study and the state is confident concerns about addressing traffic related to the plant operations will be taken care of. Rail cars that will be transporting sand product are also “within the capacity of the existing system,” the denial states. There’s no basis for more environmental analysis here. The railroad line owner also told the PCA it will review rail crossings “after the spring thaw” and assured the PCA necessary upgrades will be made. Lights and crossing arms are scheduled to be replaced at CSAH 9 and 10 in Harris in 2013, the PCA’s denial points out. (These rail crossings were identified by MnDOT as eligible for $125,000 in grants each.

In a press release issued last summer, the crossings were slated to have been improved by fall 2012.) The commissioner’s denial of the petition for the EAW states that the PCA finds “...evidence regarding effects related to truck and train traffic from the proposed project does not demonstrate the project may have potential for significant environmental effects.” As for air and emissions concerns, the PCA findings refer to Tiller Corp voluntarily implementing the “dust control plan” that will “mitigate potential air quality impacts” including installing a berm on the west perimeter of the sand drying plant with the vegetative windbreaks being designed by the Soil and Water Conservation District.

Tiller informed the state there are 224,000 tons of silica sand awaiting transport from a gravel pit in Sunrise, east of North Branch, that Tiller will move into the North Branch facility in the coming days. The PCA denial for the EAW also refers to a “Phase Two” for the sand processing plant. Phase Two could mean building additional storage silos in North Branch. The state requires that Tiller Corp will submit notice if it wishes to activate “Phase Two” 180 days before commencing any additional construction at the site.