Public Comment Form

Commenting open: November 19, 2024 12:00AM CT - December 19, 2024 11:59PM CT.

WestRock (Saint Paul) - Wastewater Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for WestRock.


WestRock manufactures 100 percent recycled paperboard products and printed folding cartons at its facility in Saint Paul. The facility generates non-contact cooling water, which it discharges to the Mississippi River at an average rate of 330,000 gallons per day and a maximum rate of 1.2 million gallons per day. WestRock does not treat the cooling water before it is discharged. 


The draft water quality permit places a more stringent limit for temperature on the non-contact cooling water discharge to comply with water quality standards. The draft permit also authorizes WestRock to discharge stormwater associated with industrial activities and adds monitoring locations for its industrial stormwater. 


Additionally, the draft permit includes monitoring for nitrite plus nitrate‐nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 


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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Thank you for providing feedback on this project. We value your comments and will use them to assess this project further. Please submit your comments and feedback before the end of the comment period.


If you want to submit a letter, you can upload the letter on this website or submit it via US Mail to the following address:


Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Christine Bianchi
520 Lafayette Road N
Saint Paul, MN 55155

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