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federal Clean Water Act requires that further <br />efforts be made by the state to reduce human <br />impacts on surface waters that are <br />determined to be impaired due to high <br />pollutant loads of nutrients, bacteria, <br />sediment, mercury, and other contaminants. <br />Scientific studies of these waters must be <br />conducted to determine how much pollution <br />they can handle (Total Maximum Daily <br />Loads, or TMDLs). The pollutant load <br />reduction requirements will affect <br />municipal, industrial, and agricultural <br />practices and operations along any river, <br />stream or lake determined to be impaired. <br />While the sources of 86 percent of the <br />pollutants affecting Minnesota waters are <br />non -point sources, there will also be new <br />costs and requirements for point -source <br />dischargers, like municipal wastewater <br />treatment facilities. Municipal stormwater <br />systems will also face increased protective <br />requirements and regulation as part of the <br />state's impaired waters program. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities will work actively with the <br />administration, the Legislature, and other <br />stakeholders in the design and <br />implementation of Minnesota's impaired <br />waters program to: <br />a) Ensure equitable funding solutions <br />are found, such as the state general <br />fund or bonding, that broadly collect <br />revenue to address this statewide <br />problem; <br />b) Support legislative appropriation of <br />constitutionally dedicated clean water <br />revenues that will supplement <br />traditional sources of funding for <br />these purposes, not be used to cover <br />budget cuts, backfill past program <br />reductions, or to otherwise supplant <br />normal state spending on water <br />programs; <br />c) Direct the majority of funds collected <br />by the state for impaired waters into <br />programs that fund municipal <br />wastewater and stormwater projects, <br />and for state programs needed for <br />municipal wastewater and stormwater <br />permitting and technical support, <br />including the Clean Water Revolving <br />Loan Fund, Wastewater <br />Infrastructure Fund, Phosphorus <br />Reduction Grant Program, TMDL <br />Grants Program, Small Community <br />Wastewater Treatment Grant and <br />Loan Program, and other state <br />programs that provide financial <br />resources for city wastewater <br />treatment facilities, septic tank <br />replacement, stormwater management <br />projects, and other city water quality <br />improvement and protection projects; <br />d) More adequately cover the current <br />five-year wastewater infrastructure <br />funding need projection of more than <br />$1.65 billion; <br />e) Recognize and address the upcoming <br />costs of stormwater management <br />infrastructure and operation on <br />municipalities from new regulatory <br />mandates and load reduction <br />requirements; <br />f) Allow flexibility in achieving pollutant <br />load reductions and limitations <br />through offsets or trading of pollutant <br />load reduction credits for both point <br />and non -point load reduction <br />requirements within watersheds; <br />Recognize and credit the work <br />underway and already completed by <br />local units of government to limit <br />point and non -point source water <br />pollutant discharges; <br />h) Recognize the diversity of efforts and <br />needs that exists across the state; <br />i) Ensure the best science available is <br />used to accurately determine the <br />sources of pollutant load in order to <br />maximize positive environmental <br />outcomes and minimize unnecessary <br />g) <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2016 City Policies Page 40 <br />