Provisions to petition for preparation of environmental assessment worksheet modified.

HF 1204 modifies Minnesota's environmental assessment process for certain projects. It clarifies that environmental assessment worksheets are not required for ethanol or biobutanol facility expansions (or conversions) that produce under 125 million gallons of fuel annually or under 400,000 tons of chemicals yearly, provided they meet specific capacity thresholds. The bill also streamlines the petition process: if 100 residents or property owners submit evidence of potential environmental impacts, the responsible state agency must decide within 15 days whether an assessment is needed, with limited extensions allowed. This directly affects biofuel facilities below those production thresholds and individuals seeking to trigger environmental reviews for proposed projects.