Dear neighbors, 

Many thanks to everyone who joined Rep. Ruth Richardson, Sen. Matt Klein, and me at our town hall this weekend! If you weren’t able to make it, you can watch the whole event here. Please feel free to call or email me with your thoughts about the topics that we discussed or other issues that are important to you.

I’m holding another town hall next week. On Saturday, February 8, Sen. Karla Bigham, Sen. Klein, Rep. Anne Claflin, and I will be at South St. Paul City Hall to listen to your feedback, answer questions, and discuss the upcoming legislative session.

Monitoring PFAS Contamination

PFAS, toxic chemicals that can build up in the environment and the human body, are an increasingly serious concern in Minnesota and across the nation. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) have been investigating PFAS contamination in the East Metro area for more than a decade. They’ve found several contaminated locations, including the 3M facility in Cottage Grove and a few former dump sites, and identified some areas where PFAS have contaminated the drinking water supply. The MPCA conducts residential well testing in these areas. The agency recently released their findings from 2019, which showed that 677 wells were tested and 182 well advisories were issued. You can find the full report and more information about well sampling here.  

A study released earlier this week found PFAS in the water supply in dozens of major cities, including Minneapolis. You can read more about it here.

Community Events and Activities

South St. Paul Day at the Minnesota History Center

South St. Paul Day at the Capitol is always one of the highlights of my year. This year’s event was no less enjoyable despite being a bit different. Instead of spending the day at the Capitol, we went to the Minnesota History Center. We were able to see South St. Paul and Minnesota historical items as well as the She Voted exhibit about the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which expanded the right to vote. This exhibit was particularly meaningful because this year is the Nineteenth Amendment’s 100^th anniversary and South St. Paul women were the first American women to vote after it was ratified. I hope those of you who came enjoyed it as much as I did!

Regardless of whether you're able to make it to the next town hall, I want to hear from you. Please feel free to email me at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or call me at 651-296-6828. 

Sincerely,

Rick Hansen

State Representative