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Home My WebLink About9.c. Jeff Wilezick Letter re: Koch Refinery,Ur1kU IU wumi+ `seO WJ I t Ziek_ v'AOARp t Ayr ,- APR ; _. 1987 Am"410aVT,,,fl'.v' CWS 10 YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER IS REQUESTED AND APPRECIATED, AS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO THE M.P.C.A. ENDS _,MAY_4,_1987. During 1981 and 1982 a number of monitored violations of air pollution emission limits of sulpher dioxide were measured in the vincinity of Koch Refinery Company in Rosemount. In response, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Koch Refinery signed a Stipulation Agreement in 1983. Koch agreed to: 1) Install four sulpher dioxide monitors on the refinery property (which is probably the cleanest air in the county due to the height of the smoke stacks.) 2) Develop a program to reduce sulpher dioxide emissions to state standard levels. It has been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency that the state is deficient and unable to attain the state standard of sul.poer dioxide (SO2) emissions. In September of 1984 Governor Perpich was notified of these deficiencies by the EPA, who also published this deficiency in the Federal Registry on December 5, 1984. *** NO PENALTY OR FINE WAS. ASSESSED TO KOCH FOR THESE VIOLATIONS *** Instead the following year, in May of 1985, the MPCA issued a permit for Koch to expand its facilities and increase production by as much as 66%. This permit now required Koch to reduce their S02 emissions to the state standards." According to the EPA this is also deficient and unable to attain. At this point the MPCA turns to Koch for help in this matter. Koch proposed a Total Facility Emission Limit (TFEL) which permits Koch to add emissions until the state S02 emission standards are exceeded. Why? Because Koch assumes that they are not the only polluters in the area Koch Refinery submitted this TFEL approach to the MPGA for approval, who in turn submitted it to the EPA, twice. The EPA has rejected it both times and it is currently not an approvable approach of demonstratingan attainment of S02 emis- sions. This was done in July of 1985 and is currently deficient, also the -Sti- pulation Agreement of 1983 has expired without Koch fulfilling all of their requir ments as part of the agreement NO PENALTY OR FINE WAS ASSESSED .TO KOCH for: 1) Not fulfilling their requirement with the 1985 expansion permit. 2) Not fulfilling their requirement as part of the 1983 Stipulation Agreement' which they signed with the state. The EPA has an approvable attainment approach of a modeled demonstration for emissions which require a 24 hour, a 3 hour, and a 1 hour sulphur dioxide emission limit. Koch did not like this approach, which was part of the Stipulation Agree- ment, so they requested in January of 1987 a 1 hour monitored attainment emission limit from the MPCA. Believe it or not, the MPCA agreed to Kochs request. At this time the MPCA and Koch continue to negotiate on how to attain a modeled de- monstration of state S02 emission standards. NEGOTIATE HELL! They have been at this thing for four years. It is time that the MPCA or the EPA put their foot down, and stop letting Koch call all of the shots and assess them a penalty or fine for not complying with their requirements and agreements. The MPGA should not negotiate state standards or emission limits with Koch, they should enforce them! Where are the incentives for Koch Refinery to comply? t' / (2) . 1987 �� s 1 0 The way I understand it, the MPCA's main objective is to control pollution, that is what we as tax payers pay them to do. The main objective is not being accomplished in the issues of Koch Refinery in the Pine Bend area. Koch Refinery continues to expand to this day under MPCA approval without sufficiently complying with the STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (SIP) for sulpher dioxide emissions. Sulpher dioxide is defined as a colorless, suffocating gas as'a result of burning sulpher and is a major contributor to ACID RAIN. The MPCA and the EPA must immediately enforce their emission standards on Koch Refineries Company. Koch Refinery or any other polluting corporation should not be free to dictate the ambient air quality standards. This is.exactly whats happening here. The current emissions from the Pine Bend area are endangering the environment, the health of the people in the surrounding community, and also reduces property values.- I refuse to get caught up in the bureactatic waiting game the the EPA and MPGA are playing with Koch. I believe four years is ample time for Koch to comply, and it is our duty as concerned citizens and residents of the surrounding community to put our foot down also and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH-WE CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER;" Kor.h must reduce its emissions to an acceptable level, acceptable to the people who have to breath the air that Koch is polluting. Every day they delay means another 32% TONS of sulfur dioxide dumped into the air we breath: ALL THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. FOR INFORMATION VERIFICATION CONTACT CHARLES LANE OF THE MPCA AT 612/296-7670. ASK FOR THE PERMIT AMENDMENTS AND ISSUE STATEMENT CONCERNING KOCH REFINERY AND THE PINE` BEND AREA IN ROSEMOUNT, TO BE SENT TO YOU. Thank you for taking the time to read about this important issue. Jeff Wilcziek 612/423-3468 cc: Rudy Perpich-Governor Leland Knutsen-Mayor Dennis Osmondt-State Rep. Darryl Wegsheid-State Senator The Environmental Protection Agency Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Dakota County Environmental Health Dept. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group The North Star Chapter of The Sierra Club"' ��° WCCO-TV "I" Team Ar?9BDnistre+'�'':'r St.Paul Pionneer Press and Dispatch ruildq IN-V• MPLS Star and Tribune Film Dakota County Tribune "This Week" and "Current" Community Newspapers ��? d ots!ggig Police Public vvorks:]Z� Tri nsUrer Q