Under federal law, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) must update its list of “impaired waters” — lakes, streams and rivers that fail to meet water quality standards. This list guides the work of the agency in developing limits in wastewater permits and other actions to control pollutants.
MPCA unveiled its list earlier this month and added 305 waterbodies to the impaired waters list, with 417 new impairments. For the first time, three water bodies in Greater Minnesota were found to have high enough levels of perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) to require inclusion on the list. Three new waters in Greater Minnesota, located in Stearns, Meeker and Todd and Douglas counties (one waterbody straddles both counties), were added to the list for impairment by sulfate in wild rice. Unhealthy contaminants for fish and bugs were the most common impairment, but high levels of sediment and nutrients also led to new impairments.
MPCA is accepting written comments on the draft impaired waters list through Friday, Jan. 7. You may want to have your wastewater staff or engineers examine the list to determine if your facility is impacted. You can find the full list and more details on how to comment here.
CGMC staff will also examine the list to determine whether our organization should submit comments.
If you have any questions about the impaired waters list, please contact CGMC environmental lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel at eawefel@flaherty-hood.com.
