Letter of support for HF 973 – Restoring the MPCA Citizens’ Board

To: Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate

Re: MPCA Citizens’ Board

March 21, 2019

Dear Members,

We are writing to express our strong support for House File 973 and Senate File 627 to reestablish the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Citizens’ Board.

The Citizens’ Board was established in 1967 with the creation of the MPCA to ensure the agency serves the public interest and to establish an open and transparent decision-making process. The Board:

• Ensured the environmental review process was democratic.
• Gave a voice to Minnesotans to express their concerns about proposed large-scale industrial projects that threatened their communities.
• Served as a check and balance on the actions of the agency’s staff and commissioner.
• Ensured that agency decisions were made in full daylight and public view.
• Promoted public engagement in the political process and in the environmental review process.

The legislation to abolish the Citizens’ Board was among the most controversial of the 2015 legislative session. The language was inserted into the Agriculture and Environment Budget Bill by the conference committee chairs in the last hours of the regular 2015 session, thus avoiding meaningful public hearings.

Reinstating the Citizens’ Board would reinstate democracy in the environmental review process. We thank you for your consideration and urge you to support this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Steve Morse                                                                                 

Executive Director

Alliance for Sustainability

Austin Coalition for Environmental Sustainability (A.C.E.S.)

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Clean Water Action – Minnesota

Duluth for Clean Water

Environment Minnesota

Environmental Working Group

Friends of Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas

Friends of the Mississippi River

Lakeville Friends of the Environment

Land Stewardship Project

League of Women Voters Duluth

League of Women Voters Minnesota

Mankato Area Environmentalists

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

Minnesota Native Plant Society

Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota

Save Our Sky Blue Waters

Voyageurs National Park Association

WaterLegacy

Wilderness in the City