Weekly announcements and environmental review notices

Volume 49, Number 36                                                                                     September 9, 2025

Announcements

Environmental Quality Board meeting

Wednesday, September 17, 1 – 4:00 p.m.
Join us in person or virtually for the September 2025 Environmental Quality Board meeting. At this meeting, the board will hear an update on the Climate Action Framework and will vote on approval of the Energy Rulemaking Notice.

More information, including the meeting packet and virtual meeting details, can be found on the board meeting webpage.

Apply now for EQB environmental review director position We are looking for a talented individual to lead our statewide environmental review program and related policy and planning efforts. If you have expertise in environmental review and skills in project management, planning, and communicating technical topics to a wide range of audiences, please apply. Application deadline is September 24. Find more information and apply on the State of Minnesota's Career’s website (Job ID # 88622)

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.

Talon Nickel Exploratory Drilling project

Location (city/township; county): Haugen, Clark, Salo Townships; Aitkin County; and Lakeview, Automba Townships, Carlton County
Process: Petition
Step: Environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) need decision

Responsible governmental unit decision: EAW not required
Responsible governmental unit decision date: September 2, 2025

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Jill Townley, 651-259-5168

Knife River - Holthaus Pit Expansion

Location (city/township; county): Buffalo Township; Wright
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: October 9, 2025

Project description: Knife River is proposing an expansion to the Holthaus Pit north of Buffalo in Buffalo Township in Wright County, MN. Like the existing pit, the proposed expansion will involve excavation (mining), aggregate production (crushing), and aggregate washing. The overall project area is about 200 acres (which includes the existing pit). Of this, there is an estimated 50+ acres planned for mining expansion.
Knife River - Holthaus Pit Expansion project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Wright County Planning & Zoning, 3650 Braddock Ave NE, Buffalo, MN 55313

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Wright County Planning & Zoning, 
Scott Deckert, 763-682-7338

City of Empire - Northwest Alternative Urban Areawide Review

Location (city/township; county): Empire; Dakota
Process: Large AUAR
Step: Draft AUAR
End of comment period: October 9, 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

Public meeting date, time, location: September 24, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Empire Public Works Building, 2577 Vermillion River Trail, Farmington, MN 55024

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

General notices

Notices published in this section may be required under Minnesota Statute or Rule.

Notice of Public Hearings and Availability of the EA
- Boswell Solar Project

Notice description: The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) issued an environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Boswell Solar project on August 27, 2025. The purpose of the EA is to provide information on the potential human and environmental impacts of the proposed project, possible mitigations for identified impacts, and evaluation of alternatives contained in the scoping decision. Minnesota Power is proposing to construct an up to 85 MW solar energy generating system and 2.45-mile 230 kV Gen-Tie Line in the city of Cohasset, Deer Lake Township, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation in Itasca County, Minnesota. The proposed project would be located on 499 acres within a 1,345-acre site, and includes photovoltaic solar panels mounted on tracking systems, and the 230 kV Gen-Tie Line HVTL. The Commission will hold public hearings on the application of Minnesota Power for a site and route permit on September 10 & 11th 2025.

First public meeting date, time, location: September 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m., BENA Community Center - Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, 15085 Old Housing Drive NE, Bena, MN 56626
First public meeting additional details: If any reasonable accommodation is needed to enable you to fully participate in these hearings, please contact the Commission at 651-296-0406 or 1-800-657-3782 at least one week in advance of the hearing. To find out if a hearing is canceled due to bad weather or other call 1855-731-6208 or visit mn.gov/puc.

Second public meeting date, time, location: September 10, 2025, 6:00 p.m., Cohasset Community Center - Cohasset, 305 1st Avenue NW, Cohasset, MN 55721
Second public meeting additional details: If any reasonable accommodation is needed to enable you to fully participate in these hearings, please contact the Commission at 651-296-0406 or 1-800-657-3782 at least one week in advance of the hearing. To find out if a hearing is canceled due to bad weather or other call 1855-731-6208 or visit mn.gov/puc.

Third public meeting date, time, location: September 11, 2025, 6:00 p.m., Online meeting
Third public meeting virtual link: Join online meeting
Third public meeting additional details: Webinar Number: 2494 653 8447
Webinar Password: Y4zdUUMCk34 (94938862 from phones)
Join by Phone: 1-855-282-6330
Toll Free Access Code: 249 465 38447
If you are joining the hearing via WebEx and would like to ask a question or make a comment during the designated portion of the hearing, use the raised-hand function or the chat function to send a message to the hearing moderator. If you are joining the hearing by phone, press *3 on your phone. When it is your turn to speak, your line will be unmuted, and you will be able to ask questions and provide comments. Additional information and instructions are available at the PUC website.

Link to additional information: Boswell Solar Project additional information

Contact: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Jessica Livingston, 651-539-1068

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.