The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is conducting an environmental review of a biogas facility, commonly known as a manure digester, proposed by Danish energy company Nature Energy in Wilson Township.
Manure digesters extract methane from manure and food waste to create natural gas through a bacteria-driven process called anaerobic digestion. The Nature Energy facility plans to return the manure to farmers for use as fertilizer. The energy company, acquired by Shell Oil in February, operates 14 similar facilities in Denmark and the Netherlands.
The digester site lies on Winona Area Industrial Development Association land along Interstate 90, about one mile west of the town hall.
Local farmers and agricultural organizations support the Nature Energy project for its potential to address methane emissions and agricultural runoff associated with manure.
“We think as farmers that this project really helps an environmental risk that we have with winter spreading,” said Luke Miller, a Lewiston dairy farmer who, along with 32 other area dairy farmers, wrote a letter supporting the Nature Energy project to the state pollution agency.
Similar plans halted Plans for similar Nature Energy project in Roberts, Wisconsin, came to a standstill amid concerns at public hearings.
“It just wasn’t garnering the support needed,” said Katy Kapaun, a Roberts village trustee who voted to deny the permit at the September plan commission meeting.
Another Nature Energy digester using an existing biogas facility will undergo review later this year in Benson, in Swift County.
“They had already done their battle with the community about fear of having a biogas facility,” said Roberts trustee Cheryl Johnson. “They were already a leg up on Roberts and the Winona area.”
Wilson Township granted Nature Energy a conditional use permit, approving the project on the condition that Nature Energy satisfies all state regulations required for the project, including an environmental review by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
“If and when all conditions are met, as part of the conditional use permit, Nature Energy may submit a building permit for consideration,” said Wilson Township Planning and Zoning Administrator Patrick Pawlowski.
Under state law, the project is subject to a mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency because it plans to convert more than 25,000 dry tons of biomass to gaseous fuel a year.
“The time to complete environmental review is project-specific depending on the complexity and number of comments received,” the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency stated.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency uses the 22-question document along with four statutory-defined criteria to determine if a project could cause “significant environmental effects,” which would require the agency to conduct an environmental impact statement, a more detailed review that can take up to two years.
Public input One or more public meetings regarding the review may be held if the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency “determines that a meeting is necessary or useful,” according to statutory rules. Wilson Township is not directly involved in the review but will respond to questions from the state agency, Pawlowski said.
“Manure is a complete nutrient source,” said Melissa Wilson, University of Minnesota Extension professor and manure management specialist. “What goes into the animal must come out. If the animals are eating plants, you’re going to get the all the plant nutrients back out.”
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can be found in manure, are needed in high quantities to fuel biological processes and build organic compounds plants need to grow.
Dairy manure has lower quantities of nutrients immediately available to plants, according to data recorded by the state university extension.
“It’s more of a slow-release fertilizer than something like swine manure,” said Wilson.
Corn requires higher levels of nitrogen not always present in dairy manure without overapplying other nutrients like phosphorus.
Manure disposal “Manure is probably one of the biggest challenges today that dairy farmers have in terms of storage,” said Kim Bremmer, a Wisconsin-based Nature Energy outreach consultant and owner of communications company Ag Inspirations. “Often times manure is what dictates the size of your farm. You have to have adequate acreage to apply manure and storage is challenging.”
Agricultural runoff, when excess nutrients from sources including manure contaminate water, poses risks to human and wildlife. Excess phosphorus causes excess algae growth, according to the state university extension. Bacteria break down the plants, using up oxygen in the water which kills fish.
Source: lacrossetribune.com
Categories: South Dakota, Energy, Livestock, Dairy Cattle