More than a year ago, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison created the Advisory Task Force on the Future of Minnesota’s Water. The CGMC sought a seat on the Task Force, but because they did not plan to focus on topics such as wastewater or drinking water, we were not included. The CGMC monitored the group as it progressed and found that it was focusing on issues like agricultural drainage and nitrates in well water.
As the Task Force’s directive drew to a close and its draft recommendations were made public, we were alerted to a proposal to include a recommendation that the 10 mg/l Wild Rice Sulfate rule be enforced as currently written. Although such a recommendation would not have the force of law, it would still carry weight coming from such a group. In response, the CGMC submitted a letter and reached out to several Task Force members, including legislators, about our concern.
Specifically, we were most concerned that a recommendation with such a potentially significant impact on municipalities was being considered without any affected municipalities participating in the discussion. Moreover, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is currently working on several research projects related to the standard that will not be completed until the end of 2026, so any recommendation is premature.
Ultimately, the Task Force did not include this recommendation and several others in its final report, which will be issued later this year. We are pleased with this result.
For any questions regarding our work on this or other environmental issues, please contact CGMC Lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel at eawefel@flaherty-hood.com.
