Agenda - Council - 02/08/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

permit modifications, and the reissuance of a permit within a reasonable set time period, and require the MPCA to make its determinations and reissue the permit within that reasonable set time frame. The state should ensure townships are required to meet the same environmental protection and regulatory requirements as cities. Legislation should be passed that requires state agencies to establish permit requirements only when the criteria they are using is developed through the rule - making process. State agencies need to develop science - based standards and quantify new effluent standards, ensuring that they are scientifically and economically practicable. State and federal agencies should coordinate and integrate their monitoring data to assure that all pertinent data is available and utilized. The state general fund is an appropriate source for state water program funding. Municipal water permit fees should only be increased if new revenue is needed because of increased costs of processing municipal water permits or if the funds would go for specific scientific research, technical and financial support for cities, or agency staffing needed by cities to address environmental and public health concerns, not as a means to generate new revenue to cover other budget shortfalls. Additionally, the Legislature should create effective, producer -led reduction, reuse, and recycling programs to deal with a product's lifecycle impacts from design through end -of -life management and should regulate products and compounds that damage water quality, sewer collection, stormwater or 54 wastewater treatment systems at the consumer and manufacturing levels, not just at the treatment and infrastructure maintenance level. Examples include requiring accurate labeling as to whether disposable wipes can be safely flushed and creating incentives for private salt applicators to reduce the volume of salt they apply. SD-63. Impaired Waters Issue: Despite the billions of dollars that Minnesota municipalities have invested and continue to invest in wastewater and stormwater management systems, and best management practices to protect, preserve, and restore the quality of Minnesota's surface waters, the quality of some of Minnesota's surface waters does not meet federal water quality requirements. The federal Clean Water Act requires that further efforts be made by the state to reduce human impacts on surface waters that are determined to be impaired due to high pollutant loads of nutrients, bacteria, sediment, mercury, and other contaminants. Scientific studies of these waters must be conducted to determine how much pollution they can handle (Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLs). The pollutant load reduction requirements will affect municipal, industrial, and agricultural practices and operations along any river, stream or lake determined to be impaired. While the sources of 86 percent of the pollutants affecting Minnesota waters are non -point sources, there will also be new costs and requirements for point -source dischargers, like municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Municipal stormwater systems will also face increased protective requirements and regulation as part of the state's impaired waters program. Response: The League of Minnesota Cities will work actively with the