• What impact does the refinery have on air, river water and the groundwater in the Pine Bend area?

Air Quality
The MPCA operates five ambient air monitors around the refinery. These stations monitor continuously (once every few seconds) for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. To see MPCA's air quality monitoring throughout Minnesota, click here.

The five monitors around the refinery also measure 42 hazardous air pollutants. Once every six days, the MPCA takes a 24-hour sample for 35 volatile organic compounds and 7 "carbonyls" (for example, the chemical formaldehyde). In 2003, particulate monitors were added to four sites surrounding the refinery in order to obtain more complete data on hazardous metals.

The refinery is not the only source of emissions that are detected by those monitoring stations. Houses, factories, along with cars and trucks driving by on the highway, emit their own mix of pollutants. The air monitors record pollution from these other sources too. Weather and atmospheric conditions can also cause monitoring results to vary; for instance, during a west wind, pollutants will be detected in greater quantities on the east side of the refinery.

Mississippi River Quality
Similarly, the Metropolitan Council, the MN Department of Natural Resources, the MN Pollution Control Agency and the US Geological Survey measure the conditions in the river; click here to see the MPCA report on River Quality. Click here to access the Met Council's Environmental Services data on impacts to the river. The MN Department of Natural Resources analyzes fish from the river and the Minnesota Department of Health and annually issues advisories on how much fish can be safely consumed.

Groundwater Quality
FHR uses independent contractors and labs to analyze the groundwater around the refinery. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Health test the groundwater, and the Minnesota Health Department tests the quality in municipal wells annually and private drinking water wells in the area when requested to do so by neighbors.

To view the impact pollutants have on the environment around the Pine Bend refinery, go to the air quality, river quality and soil & groundwater quality sections to see impacts on these specific portions of the environment. Finally, within each of these sections, you'll be able to learn more about the impacts of specific chemicals.

In the air and river sections, you will see a reporting tool that looks like this:

The type of report you can generate is a Historical and Regulatory graph showing the impacts recorded around the refinery and the regulatory limits in effect at that time.

Selecting a report type will automatically call up the report showing the information you requested. Look for the Data Quality statement on the report pages. This will show what standards FHR used in collecting the data and, in some cases, what organization has confirmed FHR's numbers.

Data represented on this site has not been verified for accuracy by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Review of the underlying data by the University of Minnesota and the independent expert panel for accuracy does not constitute endorsement of the data, FHR's environmental performance or FHR's operations or products. The database was built and is maintained and hosted by Barr Engineering Company, an independent engineering, environmental, and information technology consulting firm in the employ of FHR.

IMPACTS DATA VERIFICATION

The charts and graphs on this Web site have been prepared using data that has been provided by FHR to public agencies, such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services.

Impact measurements
MPCA measures ambient air quality at five sites around the refinery. One monitor is east of the refinery (in the triangle of land formed by Highways 52 and 55), one is west, just west of Rich Valley Boulevard and south of 117th Street, one is located south of the refinery on 140th St. north of Rich Valley Golf Course, one is southeast of the Pine Bend Industrial Area on County Road 42 east of Highway 52 and the fifth site is north of the refinery just south of 117th St. and west of the Highway 52 / 117 St. interchange. At these sites the MPCA monitors continuously for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. One-hour averages are calculated, and sent via telephone modem to the MPCA computers in St. Paul.

Similarly, an ozone monitor on the Dakota County Government Center in Hastings monitors ozone concentrations continuously, and transmits hourly average data to the MPCA computers in St. Paul.

Every 6 days, the MPCA brings a stainless steel canister to each of the 5 monitoring sites in Pine Bend, along with a filter cartridge. A 24-hour average composite sample is taken into the canister and cartridge. The canister and cartridge are returned to the MPCA labs for analysis of 35 volatile organic compounds (things like benzene, toluene, trichlorethane) and 7 carbonyls (things like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde).

A fine particulate monitor on the Dakota County Government Center in Apple Valley collects particulate matter samples on a 24 hour average basis. Filters which collect the particulate matter are brought back to the MPCA laboratory for weighing and analysis. In 2003, FHR added particulate monitors to five sites surrounding the refinery. The MPCA collects the filters from these monitors and brings them back to the MPCA laboratory for weighing and analysis.

MPCA follows EPA rules on location of monitors, sampling and analytical methods, and quality assurance. The MPCA calibrates the analyzers at least weekly, and conducts quarterly and annual audits.

The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services measure Mississippi River Water quality at 11 sites on the river. We've chosen the sites above and below FHR's wastewater discharge point, which have the most extensive data. Samples are taken 40 times a year (weekly during the summer, bi-weekly during the winter), from 1 meter below the surface. Samples are analyzed for 24 chemicals/parameters, following EPA rules.

Groundwater samples are taken monthly or quarterly from over 150 wells on FHR's property. Each well is pumped or bailed according to MPCA standard methods to be sure a representative sample is taken. Samples are analyzed by an independent laboratory, using MPCA approved methods. Duplicate, replicate, trip and lab blank samples are routinely analyzed to ensure quality control.

MPCA and MCES review and data availability
MPCA reviews the data which it collects, as does the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services. MPCA and EPA have audited all of FHR's monitoring methods, calculations, and quality assurance procedures. All of the data is available from the MPCA or Metropolitan Council Environmental Services. To access the Council's data on Mississippi River quality go to: http://es.metc.state.mn.us/eims. However, review by the MPCA and EPA does not constitute an endorsement of FHR, FHR's operations or products or the data presented here.