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State Representative Joe Mullery
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4262
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
COMMUNITY NOTICE
NEW ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES LAWS
Other than enacting the strongest requirements in the country for renewable energy and global warming, most of the new environmental laws dealt with water this year.
With the DFL finally back in control of the House, we put a renewed emphasis on cleaning up the waters throughout the state. Most people don't know that we have a federal law (which has been in existence for many years) that requires the state to do a complete testing and cleanup plan of all the waters in the state, and if that is not done, no new large business development that would create more water pollution, is to be allowed. No one has actually tried to enforce that law in Minnesota, but it would be a huge blow to our economy if it were enforced.
Therefore, we set up a new requirement that the Pollution Control Agency complete assessments for ten percent of the state's waters each year for the next ten years. They also are required to provide cleanup plans where extensive problems exist.
We also gave a large amount of money to the Board of Water and Soil Resources so they can analyze clean water implementation, wetland mitigation opportunities, evaluate whether applied soil and water conservation practices are working, grants to counties for increasing compliance on individual sewage treatment systems, help cleanup feedlots under 300 animal units, etc. Another new law is the use of storm water management ponds to satisfy wetlands replacement requirements under state law. A new fund was set up in the Department of Natural Resources to manage invasive species, including the prevention of the introduction of Asian Carp.
The Health Department will be required to develop a new environmental health tracking system and bio-monitoring program during the next two years; its first step is to study the relationship between hazardous chemicals and disease.
We also put in a new study of the effects of endocrine disruptors. An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that, when absorbed into the body, either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body's normal functions. Many chemicals, particularly pesticides and plasticizers, are suspected of being endocrine disruptors.
In order to protect our natural wild rice crop in this state, we put in new provisions that require the Environmental Quality Board to notify the state's wild rice industry of any permit to release genetically-engineered wild rice anywhere in the United States, and the EQB must adopt rules that require an environmental impact statement for any proposed release of genetically-engineered wild rice.
Because so many cities are allowing, and are themselves constructing, outdoor lighting, which wastes an enormous amount of light and energy, the Department of Administration is required to develop a model outdoor lighting ordinance for local governments to use so that the light is trained on the ground rather than lighting the sky.
Authority was given to the Board of Water and Soil Resources to make funding of local water management entities dependent on whether they are addressing the documented deficiencies according to the state requirements. Many locales were using it for other reasons, which were not addressing their serious polluted water problems.
A new Reinvest in Minnesota clean energy program was established to acquire easements of at least 20 years for growing bio-energy crops, and ditch buffer strips are to be planted with perennial vegetation rather than grass.
News Items
- Reminder: Primary - August 14; Some Voting Locations May Have Changed - (Posted: 2012-07-08 00:00:00)
- Passing of Dr. John Williams - (Posted: 2012-07-09 00:00:00)
- Rep. Mullery: 2012 Legislative Report - (Posted: 2012-07-10 00:00:00)
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