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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has made a preliminary determination to reissue a wastewater permit to Ciffs Errie-Taconite Harbor Dock for five years. Still, they are asking for public input before making a final decision.
Cliffs Erie LLC is responsible for the inactive Taconite Harbor Dock and Closed ash landfill site in Schroeder.
Work at this site consisted of rail car unloading, transferring, storage, and bulk ship loading of taconite pellets, limestone stockpiling, and electrical power generation utilizing coal. The 225-megawatt shuttered power plant and remaining associated coal piles are located in the northeast portion of the site. Minnesota Power owns and operates them under the NPDES/SDS permit issued when the area was engaged in its former activity. In addition, coal ash is a waste product of power production and was landfilled at this site.
The Taconite Harbor Dock and the closed ash landfill are on 428.3 acres. Of this, approximately 25 percent or 110 acres is or was engaged in industrial activity.
The former dock water sedimentation basin system, dock dust suppression system, and dock wash water system are inactive. There is no discharge into our out-of-the-sedimentation ponds A & B and Clear Water Basin, which was an active part of the treatment system for the former ore dock operations.
The taconite ore loading dock is inactive and has been cleaned. In addition, the 25 stormwater drains have been unplugged (during former operations, water from the stormwater drains was routed to the Dock Water Sedimentation Basin System), and stormwater from the Ore Loading Sock is allowed to discharge directly to Lake Superior.
The permit authorizes discharge associated with past activity and may contain minor amounts of residual taconite iron units (pellets, pellet chips and fines) scattered throughout the site and remainders of limestone stockpiles as a result of past operations; as well as windblown coal fines from adjacent Minnesota Power Taconite Harbor Energy Center Power Plant. The majority of stormwater is conveyed to Lake Superior via a 72-inch diameter stormwater culvert, regulated surface discharge station 1.
A system of berms, ditches, and drain water convey stormwater through storm culverts.
Near the center of the site is a closed coal ash landfill. Leachate from the closed ash landfill is collected and discharged into a leachate collection pond. Periodically, the leachate pond is pumped, and the material is transported to the Grand Marais wastewater treatment plant.
Eight groundwater monitoring wells are downgradient to the landfill and the leachate collection pond.
Public comment ends February 21, 2013. If you want to comment on this permit or receive more information, contact Courtney Sullivan, Industrial Division, MPCA, at Courtney.sullivan@state.mn.us.
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