Loon Commons Blog

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Earlier this week, twelve of the seventeen members of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Environmental Justice Advisory Group (EJAG) announced their resignation from the group, citing the MPCA’s approval of permits for the proposed Line 3 oil pipeline as the proximate cause. The resigning members also detailed patterns of dismissal and… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Thursday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) made the irresponsible – but ultimately unsurprising – decision to approve crucial water permits for Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement pipeline, moving it even closer to construction. If you’ve read our previous articles on the subject, you’ll know why approving this pipeline is… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Next week, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is expected to decide whether to approve critical water permits for the Enbridge Line 3 replacement oil pipeline. These permits are among the last items required for the pipeline’s construction, and they offer a critical opportunity for Minnesota’s government to live up… Read more »

Presidential candidates’ climate views have little in common Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Tuesday evening, the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus released its Climate Action Plan, which will help guide legislation introduced in 2021 and beyond. In a Facebook video, State Representatives in the Caucus and members of Minnesota’s environmental community explained the plan and asked… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership The extreme weather and fire events of the past year have made it clearer than ever that climate change is here, and that we need to address it as quickly as we can. There’s a lot that Minnesota can do to lead on climate change by reducing emissions and retiring… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership This week, a broad array of environmental groups, businesses, labor unions, and communities across Minnesota had reason to celebrate as the Legislature finally passed a capital investment bill after months of negotiation. This $1.8 billion bonding bill will mostly go toward infrastructure in Minnesota, delivering benefits to residents and much-needed… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Good news has been rolling in for public transportation over the past month in Minnesota. Yesterday, the Blue Line advisory committee and Governor Tim Walz reaffirmed their commitment to constructing the Bottineau light rail extension project, which would connect downtown and north Minneapolis with the northwestern Twin Cities suburbs. On the… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On Monday, September 28, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and its counterpart in Michigan filed a legal petition calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to finally establish a standard for mercury emissions in taconite processing. This standard would set limits on mercury air pollution from taconite iron ore processing… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership The Walz Administration declared the past week Climate Week in Minnesota, raising awareness of this paramount issue and showcasing the state’s efforts to advance a climate-friendly agenda. But if the past several weeks are any indication, every week is Climate Week: climate change is in the public awareness like never… Read more »

Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Yesterday, September 18 marked the official start of voting in the 2020 General Election in Minnesota. “Election Day” as we’ve traditionally known it will be on November 3rd, but the COVID-19 pandemic and helpful expansions of early voting by mail and in-person mean that Minnesota’s results may not be fully… Read more »