Environmental Review

Current Projects

Valley Paving EAW

Project overview: Valley Paving is proposing to expand their existing mining operation to a total of 88.5 acres as well as increasing the max depth of the original mine area to include mining in to the water table.  The sand and gravel mine is located on a 166-acre parcel located in both Belle Plaine and St. Lawrence Townships.  Mine operations include topsoil and overburden removal, excavation, processing (screening, crushing, and washing), asphalt production, stockpiling, loading, recycling of concrete and asphalt, and reclamation. The project proposes to mine approximately 25 feet below the water table.  Reclamation consists of an open water body feature as well as leaving the area suitable for future City of Belle Plaine development. 

Project status: Published EAW with MN EQB on August 30th, 2022.  Public comment period open from August 30th – September 29th.   

Please send comments to Jesse Krzenski at jkrzenski@co.scott.mn.us. 

Past Projects

Environmental Reviews examine certain proposed projects to identify potential impacts so that damage to Minnesota's environmental resources can be avoided or minimized through modifications of the project.

Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAW)
A document providing basic information about a project that may have the potential for significant environmental effects; the EAW is prepared by the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) and used by the RGU to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement should be prepared.

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
A thorough study of each project that has the potential for significant environmental impacts. This includes evaluation of alternatives and mitigation plans.
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Alternative Urban Areawide Reviews (AUAR)
A hybrid of the EAW and EIS review processes, the AUAR uses a standard list of questions adapted from the EAW providing a level of analysis, of typical urban area impacts, comparable to an EIS. The review’s key feature is that its subject is a development scenario, or several scenarios, for an entire geographical area rather than a specific project.

More Information
For further, in-depth information concerning the Environmental Review process (PDF), please visit Minnesota's Citizen's Guide to Environmental Reviews.