By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Over 40 people from around the country went on a field tour of the University of Minnesota’s innovative cover and perennial crops as part of the US Water Alliance’s annual One Water Summit held in Minneapolis last week. Researchers, regulators, policymakers, and other water experts saw firsthand the fruits… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership While the biggest recent news from the Environmental Protection Agency concerns a major change in its controversial leadership in Washington, the EPA’s activities closer to Minnesota will also bear critical effects on our state. The EPA is developing an action plan for its work on the Great Lakes Restoration… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to grant a certificate of need to the proposed Enbridge Line 3 replacement oil pipeline, which would deliver Canadian tar sands oil across Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. The Commission also chose, on a 3-2 vote, to grant Enbridge its preferred… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Thursday, a group of Minnesota businesses and MEP member group Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of the Interior over its reinstatement of expired mineral leases for Twin Metals. Twin Metals is proposing to use these mineral rights to open and operate a… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership This month is shaping up to be a big one for the health of Minnesota’s water, land, and communities. Last week, the staff of the Public Utilities Commission released nonbinding recommendation that the proposed Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline be approved, and that its new route should be favored… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership This week, leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate formally filed their resolutions to delay Minnesota’s draft Groundwater Protection Rule after having voted to do so near the end of the 2018 Legislative Session. This unprecedented measure, if upheld by Minnesota’s court system, could put the completion of the… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership With Governor Mark Dayton’s final vetoes and bill signatures this week, the 2018 Minnesota legislative session ended with successes, losses, and missed opportunities for Minnesota’s environment. Thanks to the Governor’s veto, bad legislation like the Line 3 giveaway bill and the wild rice standard roll back, didn’t become law –… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership After three months of debate and discussion, the Minnesota Legislature on Sunday concluded its 2018 session following the passage of several last-minute bills. Governor Mark Dayton has less than a week and a half to decide whether to sign, veto, or modify spending in the bills that remain on… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Wednesday, Governor Mark Dayton announced his veto of HF 3280, a bill that would have taken major steps backward from protecting wild rice and clean water in Minnesota. The bill was intended to prevent the Pollution Control Agency from enforcing a rule on sulfate pollution in wild rice waters, ignoring… Read more »
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership More than six hundred Minnesotans gathered on Wednesday, May 2 at the State Capitol with a critical demand for lawmakers: take action to protect Minnesota’s waters. Hundreds of attendees spoke out on their water concerns, but were united by the belief that the Legislature should work to strengthen –… Read more »