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Dear neighbors,
On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate considered my bill to ban perchloroethylene (PERC) – a chemical solvent that can increase risks for cancer and other health issues – and help dry cleaning facilities transition to safer alternatives. It received unanimous support and is now on its way to the Governor’s desk!
Addressing PFAS Contamination
Last week, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced that many closed landfills are leaching toxic chemicals into our groundwater. The agency found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at 98 of the 101 sites that they tested. At 59 of them, contamination levels exceeded state drinking water safety guidelines. Since the MPCA only tested a fraction of the state’s dumps, the problem could be even more widespread and serious than this data suggests.
Closed landfills need to be cleaned up before they can cause further damage to our environment and affect Minnesotans’ health, but we also need to do more to prevent PFAS contamination before it occurs. The Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee has heard several bills that would help get PFAS out of landfills and protect our drinking water this year, and I’ll continue supporting them.
If you’d like to read more about this issue and possible solutions, you can read recent articles from the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press here and here.
Strengthening Pesticide Protections
The House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee will hear several pesticide bills today at 1 p.m. I authored three of the bills on the agenda:
- HF 408, which temporarily increases fees for those who sell insecticides that are lethal to pollinators.
- HF 766, which requires including a statement on the label of seeds that are coated or treated with neonicotinoids, insecticides that are toxic to pollinators. Seed manufacturers would also be required to collect and dispose of unsold or unwanted seed.
- HF 1450, which establishes a program to compensate Minnesotans who incur damages after someone else applies a dicamba pesticide on adjoining land.
You can read a Bluestem Prairie article about this upcoming hearing here.
Stay Connected
Things at the Capitol are heating up as we approach the halfway point of the legislative session. If you have family, friends, or neighbors who might be interested in receiving updates, please share this email with them and let them know they can subscribe at https://bit.ly/HansenUpdates. Folks can also follow my official Facebook page for more frequent updates.
If you have any questions or comments about my work at the Capitol and in our community, feel free to email me at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or give me a call at 651-296-6828. It’s an honor to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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