All State Policies: Minnesota
Who’s Responsible?
Below are short descriptions of relevant state agencies/departments by policy topic, followed by more information on specific policies.
Drinking Water: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the state authority for drinking water. MDH is responsible for assuring the compliance of community water supply systems with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Several programs at MDH work together to ensure safe and adequate drinking water. The Drinking Water Protection program focuses on public water supplies. Minnesota has about 960 community water systems (CWS) that serve around 80% of Minnesota residents. Most systems use groundwater but about one-fourth of the state’s residents drink water from surface water systems. About one-fifth of Minnesota residents drink water that comes from private wells.
Policies
Drinking Water
House File 2310
5/24/2023
The act progresses a variety of measures to mitigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the environment in the state of Minnesota. It provides $25 million to support public drinking water systems to treat PFAS contamination, creates “Amara’s Law” to restrict and later ban products containing PFAS for non-essential uses, bans Class B firefighting foam containing PFAS, requires the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to adopt water quality standards for several types of PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, PFHxS, and PFBS), and directs the Minnesota Department of Public Health to create a new Health Risk Limit for PFOS.
The act also creates PFAS Reduction Grants that would encourage “industry and public entities to identify sources of PFAS entering facilities and to develop pollution prevention and reduction initiatives.” Projects in underserved communities are prioritized.
House File 24
The bill creates a program to help reach the goal of replacing all lead service lines in Minnesota by 2033. It has an appropriation of $240 million that ends June 30, 2033. It is intended for community water systems, municipalities, suppliers of other residential drinking water systems, and any other applicant eligible for loans/grants under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Potential recipients must be listed on the Department of Health’s project priority list. Applicants must describe how they will take into account public health and safety, children’s vulnerabilities to lead, and disadvantaged communities.
HF 1 (water infrastructure bond bill)
10/21/2020
The legislation funds upgrades and repairs for outdated pipes, wells, water treatment plants, and other systems related to safe drinking water in Minnesota, along with funding for flood control and lake and river pollution protection. $302,577,000 in funds include a Wastewater Infrastructure Fund, Point Source Implementation Grants, Water Infrastructure Initiative (increasing the lending capacity of the Clean Water and Drinking Water revolving funds).
Clean Water Legacy Act
06/01/2006
Purpose of the Act is to “protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and to protect groundwater from degradation, by providing authority, direction, and resources to achieve and maintain water quality stands for groundwater and surface waters.” Goals for implementation include identifying impaired waters, submitting TMDLs to EPA in alignment with federal requirements, to evaluate waters, to improve waters that are impaired, and to restore degraded groundwater. The Clean Water Council will apply recommended priorities for funding actions. The Pollution Control Agency provides administrative support for the council with support from other member agencies. The commissioners of natural resources, agriculture, health and the PCA, ED of the Board of Water and Soil Resources, the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, and the Metropolitan Council shall each appoint one person from their entity to serve as a nonvoting member of the council. Other members include house of representatives (2), senators (2). There are 17 voting members appointed by the governor. The Clean Water Council make recommendations to the governor and legislature regarding how the Clean Water Fund monies should be appropriated. The Clean Water Fund provides grants, loans, and technical assistance to public agencies and others testing waters, identifying impaired waters, developing total maximum daily loads, implementing restoration plans for impaired waters, and evaluating the effectiveness of restoration. The Fund may also provide support to prevent surface waters from becoming impaired, for wastewater and storm water treatment projects, and to prevent degradation of groundwater. 33 percent of the sales tax revenue from the Legacy amendment is allocated to the Clean Water Fund.
Environmental Justice
Healthy Rivers
Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act (House Files 3911 Article 5)
5/21/2024, with several implementation deadlines outlined in the law
Article 5 of H.F. 3911 establishes increased penalties for littering, promoting public awareness campaigns, and supporting local government efforts in waste management and cleanup. It emphasizes community involvement and education to foster responsible waste disposal practices, which collectively contribute to a reduction in littering and environmental pollution.
By 2032, “the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency, in consultation
with the commissioners of health and natural resources, must contract with a third party that is not a producer or a producer responsibility organization to conduct a study to identify
the contribution of covered products to litter and water pollution in Minnesota.”
