Weekly announcements and environmental review notices

Volume 49, Number 21                                                                                              May 27, 2025

Announcements

Climate Calculator overview training on June 4^th

The EQB and our contractor, ICF, have worked together for the past 15 months to create a climate calculator for environmental review. It facilitates the gathering of climate information and provides additional accuracy, transparency, and consistency in answering EAW items 7 and 18 while reducing the time, cost, and uncertainty for government units and project proposers.

EQB and ICF are providing several training sessions over the next couple months to help users familiarize themselves with this new resource and help troubleshoot any issues that might arise. The next training session on June 4^th will provide an overview of the Climate Calculator for users. This is the same material that was covered in our first training on May 22^nd. To join the June 4^th training, please see the meeting details below.

June 4, 10:00-11:00 a.m. 
Join online meeting
Meeting ID: 273 192 877 637 3
Passcode: vL7ED3T3
Or dial in by phone: 1-571-348-5774 
Phone conference ID: 352 565 041#

If you are unable to attend this training but still want to learn about the calculator, more training opportunities will be available soon; stay tuned for more details. EQB will also provide a recording of these trainings on our website and YouTube channel. A copy of the calculator can be found at the Climate Calculator webpage. If you have further questions, please email Stephanie Aho at stephanie.aho@state.mn.us.

Environmental review project notices

EQB publishes environmental review notices provided by responsible governmental units. For more information on a project undergoing environmental review, click on the individual project links below. You can also find information about active projects in your community on the Environmental Review Projects Interactive Map.

Liberty Classical Academy Expansion

Location: Hugo, May Township; Washington County
Process: Petition
Step: Responsible governmental unit assigned

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,
Dan Card, 651-757-2261

Tonka Bay Indian Cemetery Soil Repatriation

Process: Petition
Step: Environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: EAW not required
Responsible governmental unit decision date: May 19, 2025

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Tonka Bay, CH Holl, 952-474-7994

3M Oakdale Surface Water Diversion Project

Location (city/township; county): Oakdale; Washington
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: June 26, 2025

Project description: 3M Chemical Operations is proposing a project to collect surface water upstream of the Abresch Disposal Site, to reduce polyfluoroalkyl substances in stormwater discharge from the site. The Abresch Site is the largest of three former disposal sites that comprise the Oakdale Disposal Site, a state and federal superfund site. The project is proposed to further reduce PFAS impacts to stormwater discharge from the site. The proposed project would collect surface water upstream of the site and divert it in a 0.74-mile-long surface water conveyance pipe to a three-acre flood retention basin, where water would then be re-introduced into the natural flow of the watershed. The conveyance pipe would bypass the Abresch Disposal Site, thus bypassing PFAS detected within the site. This would reduce the discharge of PFAS in surface water and improve downstream surface water quality in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area.
3M Oakdale Surface Water Diversion Project project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: DNR, 500 Lafayette, Saint Paul, MN 55155

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Becky Horton, 651-259-5122

Vadnais Heights Workforce Housing

Location (city/township; county): Vadnais Heights; Ramsey
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: June 26, 2025

Project description: The proposed project, located north of County Road D Court in Vadnais Heights, consists of a multifamily residential development with 180 affordable housing units and common space amenities (dog run, tot lot, and patio). The single building will be one story of at grade below building parking with five stories of rental units above.

Location of public documents: Vadnais Heights City Hall, 800 East County Road E, 
Vadnais Heights, MN 55127

Public meeting date, time, location: June 3, 2025, 7:00 p.m., Online meeting
Public meeting virtual link: Join online meeting

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Vadnais Heights, Nolan Wall,
651-204-6000

Northwoods Regional Trail Phase 1A & 1B

Location (city/township; county): Malmo Township; Aitkin
Process: EAW
Step: EIS need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: Negative (no EIS ordered) 
Responsible governmental unit record of decision date: May 13, 2025

Project description: Aitkin County proposes to construct an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) trail on 40.95 acres between Malmo and Millward Township in Aitkin County, MN. The project will be completed in two phases (1A and 1B), adding approximately 36.35 miles of trail to the existing Northwoods Regional ATV trail system.
Northwoods Regional Trail Phase 1A & 1B project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Aitkin County Planning & Zoning Department, 307 2nd St NW, Aitkin, MN 56431

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Aitkin County Environmental Services, Andrew Carlstrom, 218-927-7342

METRO Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT) Extension

Location (city/township; county): Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Minneapolis; Hennepin
Process: SEIS
Step: Final SEIS
End of comment period: June 22, 2025

Project description: The METRO Blue Line Light Rail Extension Project (Project) is located in the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The Project is approximately 13.4 miles long and would be center running along County Road (CR) 81 (W Broadway Ave) south of about 73rd Ave N in the City of Brooklyn Park and transition to N 21st Ave east of Knox Ave, crossing Interstate 94 (I-94) on a new N 21st Ave bridge, and traversing Washington Ave, 10th Ave N, and 7th Ave N to the existing Target Field Station. The Project includes 13 Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations, three park-and-rides (surface lots and parking garages), the OMF, and ancillary facilities. A Draft SEIS was published in June 2024 and comments and responses are documented in this Final SEIS.
METRO Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT) Extension project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Blue Line Project Office, 6465 Wayzata Blvd, St Louis Park, MN 55426

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Metropolitan Council, Kelcie Young,
612-373-3886

Cannon Falls Industrial AUAR

Location (city/township; county): Cannon Falls; Dakota, Goodhue
Process: Large AUAR
Step: Draft AUAR
End of comment period: June 26, 2025

Project description: The AUAR study area encompasses an area totaling approximately 251 acres on 5 parcels in the City of Cannon Falls and Randolph Township, Goodhue and Dakota Counties, Minnesota. MNLCO Dakota County Two, LLC & MNLCO Dakota County Three, LLC is proposing to develop the study area from existing farmland to industrial or technology park uses. Two scenarios are proposed for evaluation in the AUAR. Scenario 1 includes multiple buildings for a total of 1,750,000 square feet of a proposed industrial development. Scenario 2 includes multiple buildings for a total of 1,500,000 square feet of technology park. The proposed development within the AUAR study area is anticipated to begin construction in 2026.
Cannon Falls Industrial AUAR project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: City of Cannon Falls, 918 River Road, Cannon Falls,
MN 55009

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Cannon Falls, Jon Radermacher,
507-263-9304

City of Empire - Northwest Alternative Urban Areawide Review

Location (city/township; county): Empire; Dakota
Process: Large AUAR
Step: Draft order for review
End of comment period: June 26, 2025

Project description: The AUAR Study Area encompasses an area totaling approximately 3,293 acres on 66 parcels in the City of Empire, Dakota County, Minnesota. The AUAR Study Area is envisioned as an opportunity to enhance a strategic planning approach to future development for the City of Empire. Three scenarios are proposed for evaluation in the AUAR. Scenario 1 (Sports Complex) and Scenario 2 (Town Center) include the development of low-density residential, medium-density residential, high-density residential, mixed-density residential, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and greenway/trail land uses within the AUAR Study Area. Scenario 3 focuses on future land use as outlined in the City of Empire 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
City of Empire - Northwest Alternative Urban Areawide Review project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Empire City Hall, 3385 197th Street, Farmington,
MN 55024

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Empire, Charles Seipel-Teng,
651-463-4494

Lino Lakes Main Street AUAR

Location (city/township; county): Lino Lakes; Anoka
Process: AUAR
Step: Draft AUAR
End of comment period: June 26, 2025

Project description: Two development scenarios evaluated in this AUAR. Development within the study area may start as early as Spring 2026 and will be constructed over multiple phases over the next 30+ years, depending on the market. Scenario 1 is the city’s existing 2040 Comprehensive Plan and focuses on higher-density and commercial development along both sides of Main Street, with lower-density residential development to the north and south. Medium-density housing would bridge the space between the high-density areas and the low-density areas. Scenario 2 centralizes higher- and medium-density housing and commercial development near the Lino Lakes/Blaine border around the Main Street and Sunset Avenue, with low-density prioritized on the eastern side of the study area, backing up to existing Lino Lakes housing.
Lino Lakes Main Street AUAR project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Lino Lakes City Hall, 600 Town Center Pkwy, Lino Lakes, MN 55014

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Lino Lakes, Michael Grochala,
651-982-2427

Fish kill reports

Minnesota Duty Officer reports pertaining to fish kills are summarized in the following table, in accordance with 103G.216, REPORTING FISH KILLS IN PUBLIC WATERS, Subd. 2 Reporting Requirement. These reports were received via the Minnesota Duty Officer prior to the submission deadline for this edition of the EQB Monitor. They represent the raw data/information provided by callers. For more information regarding fish kills in Minnesota see the Department of Natural Resources. Call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 to report fish kills.

Access the EQB monitor submission service

Questions? Contact EQB by phone at 651-757-2873 or email us at EQB.Monitor@state.mn.us. 

For more information on environmental review, please visit the EQB website or contact us at env.review@state.mn.us.