On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division heard the municipal PFAS source reduction initiative bill, SF 1410, authored by Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne). This is a bill that the CGMC brought forward to address growing concerns about the presence of per- and polyfluoroalklyl substances (PFAS) in Minnesota’s drinking water and wastewater. The League of Minnesota Cities has also been working with the CGMC on this legislation.
One of our primary concerns regarding PFAS is that it currently is not technically feasible to remove PFAS from wastewater. Therefore, PFAS must be addressed before it enters the wastewater stream. This bill would help identify the sources of PFAS in municipal wastewater and develop strategies and tools for addressing this issue. It would also create a task force that would include input from municipal groups.
CGMC lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel testified in support of the legislation, which was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. At the hearing, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Association of Minnesota Counties asked that solid waste disposal be included in the task force to make the legislation parallel with a similar request from Gov. Walz. However, the CGMC and League made clear that the primary focus needs to be on municipal wastewater. This potential change will be discussed before any language will be included in the omnibus bill.
If you have any questions about this legislation, please contact CGMC environmental lobbyist Elizabeth Wefel at eawefel@flaherty-hood.com.
