Commenting open: July 02, 2026 12:00AM CT - August 03, 2026 11:59PM CT.
CF Industries Distribution Facilities LLC - Pine Bend Terminal - Wastewater Permit
We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the CF Industries Distribution Facilities LLC – Pine Bend Terminal.
CF Industries Distribution Facilities LLC – Pine Bend Terminal stores and distributes ammonia for use as a chemical fertilizer. The facility uses water from an on-site well to cool an evaporative condenser. Non-contact cooling water is discharged to an unnamed wetland near Spring Lake and the Mississippi River at an average rate of 4,000 gallons per day and a maximum rate of 12,000 gallons per day. Chemicals are used in the cooling system for control of microbiological activity, scale, and corrosion.
The draft water quality permit includes new monitoring for total sulfate and nitrogen parameters. Monitoring for sulfate was added because the facility’s discharge is located upstream of a water used for the production of wild rice. Monitoring for nitrogen parameters was added as a result of the Statewide Nutrient Reduction Strategy to evaluate the facility’s impact on downstream waters. The draft permit also increases flow monitoring requirements to once per day to improve the accuracy of flow measurements.
Wastewater from industrial and commercial sources may contain pollutants at levels that could adversely affect the water quality in area wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Water quality permits - or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits - establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and groundwater quality. All wastewater must be treated before it goes into surface water to protect human health and aquatic life. Permits are regularly reviewed and updated as they expire, allowing the MPCA to incorporate new information about the impacts of pollutants on the environment in future permits.
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We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the CF Industries Distribution Facilities LLC – Pine Bend Terminal.
CF Industries Distribution Facilities LLC – Pine Bend Terminal stores and distributes ammonia for use as a chemical fertilizer. The facility uses water from an on-site well to cool an evaporative condenser. Non-contact cooling water is discharged to an unnamed wetland near Spring Lake and the Mississippi River at an average rate of 4,000 gallons per day and a maximum rate of 12,000 gallons per day. Chemicals are used in the cooling system for control of microbiological activity, scale, and corrosion.
The draft water quality permit includes new monitoring for total sulfate and nitrogen parameters. Monitoring for sulfate was added because the facility’s discharge is located upstream of a water used for the production of wild rice. Monitoring for nitrogen parameters was added as a result of the Statewide Nutrient Reduction Strategy to evaluate the facility’s impact on downstream waters. The draft permit also increases flow monitoring requirements to once per day to improve the accuracy of flow measurements.
Wastewater from industrial and commercial sources may contain pollutants at levels that could adversely affect the water quality in area wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Water quality permits - or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits - establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and groundwater quality. All wastewater must be treated before it goes into surface water to protect human health and aquatic life. Permits are regularly reviewed and updated as they expire, allowing the MPCA to incorporate new information about the impacts of pollutants on the environment in future permits.
Contact Information
*Indicates Required Fields