Minnesota Court of Appeals sends PolyMet permit back to MPCA
Another victory to environmental groups who oppose the project.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Minnesota wants anglers to go lead-free to help loons
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency estimates lead poisoning causes about 14% of loon deaths in the state.
Dayton vetoes revised bill on wild rice water standards, announces task force to make recommendations on protection, restoration
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill Wednesday that he said would have unlawfully undermined Minnesota’s ability to enforce its water quality standard for protecting wild rice. Dayton, who vetoed a similar bill earlier, said in a letter to House Speaker Kurt Daudt that the revised version represented “some progress,” but not
DNR continues efforts to gauge Mille Lacs walleye population
Based on the number of walleye that were originally tagged and the total number of tagged fish that turn up during the recapture, the DNR said it can make an accurate estimate of the lake’s walleye population.
Department of Health advises against eating Lake Harriet largemouths, all Lake Elmo fish
MDH and MPCA officials say the most likely source of the elevated levels of PFOS in Lake Elmo is surface and groundwater contaminated by the former 3M disposal site in Oakdale. PFOS levels in Lake Harriet have been declining since the source of the PFOS – the nearby Douglas Corporation plating facility – was addressed starting in 2010.
Senate votes to nullify Minnesota wild rice water standard
The Minnesota Senate voted 38-28 this week to nullify a water quality standard that’s meant to protect wild rice, a food central to the culture and diet of the region’s Ojibwe Indians. But senators also voted to add $500,000 for restoration work to the bill, which passed the House 78-45 last week, so the legislation
MPCA urges judge to drop objection to wild rice rule change
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota regulators asked the state’s chief administrative law judge this week to reverse her rejection of their attempts to change the state’s water quality standard for protecting wild rice. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said in a 286-page filing that it has made technical changes to its proposal that should address the judge’s
DNR: Fish winterkill being reported in lakes near Brainerd, Hinckley, Twin Cities
Cold winters with abundant snowfall can lead to fish die-offs and the Minnesota DNR has already taken reports of this process, known as winterkill, occurring in lakes near Brainerd, Hinckley and the Twin Cities area. “While seeing lots of dead fish can be disconcerting, we remind people that winterkill is normal and happens every year
Goodhue County trout habitat helpers: Arresting upland erosion
Project eyes erosion-prone gullies where conservation fixes would improve water quality, habitat.
