Central Bi-Products - North Redwood - Wastewater Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the Central Bi-Products – North Redwood Facility.

Central Bi-Products – North Redwood is a rendering facility that produces a variety of protein end products from beef, pork, and poultry. Process wastewater is treated at the facility prior to reuse within the processing plant or discharge to the city of Redwood Falls wastewater treatment plant. This permit does not authorize a surface discharge of process wastewater.

Solids accumulating in the treatment ponds are periodically removed and land applied. Stormwater runoff from the facility is monitored at one location.

The draft water quality permit includes new requirements to monitor water quality within the treatment ponds and updates the industrial stormwater and land application of industrial by-products permit requirements.

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.