The STRAIGHT Poop

On March 31, 2010, the Fibrominn Biomass Power Plant submitted its annual 2009 emissions data to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). We want to share some of this information as it helps demonstrate how well the Minnesota plant operated last year, with emissions well below its allowed permitted emission levels. For the three primary emissions that are continuously monitored (CO, NOx, SO2), the 2009 annual emissions were between 22% and 65% of the plant’s allowed maximum potential emissions.

As a part of the Fibrominn Biomass Power Plant’s MPCA air permit, the plant is required to continuously monitor emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). For these three emissions, the Minnesota plant utilizes Continuous Emissions Monitors (CEMs) to take stack emissions readings every few seconds, continuously tracking the release of these three materials. This continuous monitoring is required so that the plant can demonstrate to the regulatory agencies that it is continuously meeting its permit limits.

Throughout the year, the plant is required to report CEMs emissions electronically to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as well as report emissions to the MPCA. In addition to this periodic reporting, the plant is also obligated to submit certified annual emissions data to the MPCA, so that annual emissions fees can be assessed. On March 31, 2010, the Fibrominn plant submitted annual CEMs emissions results to the MPCA. In the report, the plant indicated that it had emitted 443.3 tons of carbon monoxide (53.3% of its maximum allowed CO emissions of 832 tons/yr); 358.5 tons of nitrogen oxides (64.5% of its maximum allowed NOx emissions of 556 tons/yr); and 126.9 tons of sulfur dioxide (21.5% of its maximum allowed SO2 emissions of 590 tons/yr).

Within the permitting process, Fibrominn was required to demonstrate that the emissions of these three materials at maximum allowed emission limits would be protective of the environment and the public health of even the most vulnerable citizens in the community. Through extensive air dispersion modeling of these worst-case emissions levels under worst-case meteorological conditions, Fibrominn was able to easily demonstrate that these permitted emissions would have negligible impacts, resulting in ground-level impacts below the USEPA Significant Impact Levels (SILs).

With these 2009 annual emissions well below the levels already demonstrated to be protective of public health, Fibrominn is demonstrating that poultry litter is a good source of renewable energy for Minnesota and will be able to meet strict environmental criteria in other parts of the U.S.