HF 3519

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 03/08/2010 11:46am

A bill for an act
relating to public health; establishing a work group to design a plan to monitor air
and groundwater emissions from the Prairie Island nuclear plant; contracting for
design of a monitoring network to measure thermal discharges from the Prairie
Island nuclear plant; requiring reports; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT MONITORING NETWORK
WORK GROUP.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health
shall, by July 1, 2010, convene a work group to make recommendations to the legislature
regarding the establishment of a monitoring network to measure the levels of radioactive
emissions to air, surface water, and groundwater originating from the operation of the
Prairie Island nuclear generating plant and the adjacent independent spent-fuel storage
installation.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner of health shall appoint the members of the work group,
which consists of:
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new text begin (1) the commissioners of health and natural resources, or their designees;
new text end

new text begin (2) a representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services responsible
for the department's Prairie Island Radioactivity Survey;
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new text begin (3) a hydrogeologist from the Minnesota Geological Survey;
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new text begin (4) an independent health physicist;
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new text begin (5) a person from the Pollution Control Agency with experience designing air
monitoring networks;
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new text begin (6) a person from the Pollution Control Agency with experience designing
groundwater monitoring networks;
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new text begin (7) ... representatives from the Prairie Island Indian Community;
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new text begin (8) ... representatives from the city of Red Wing;
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new text begin (9) one representative representing Lake City and one representative representing
each of the townships of Florence, Wacouta, and Hay Creek; and
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new text begin (10) one representative from an environmental organization.
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new text begin (c) The Department of Health shall provide logistical and administrative support
to the work group.
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new text begin (d) A professional facilitator with experience in facilitating technical stakeholder
processes shall be engaged to assist the work group in carrying out its duties under
subdivision 2.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Charge. new text end

new text begin The work group is charged with designing a comprehensive,
continuous monitoring network to accurately measure the levels of radioactive emissions
to air, surface water, and groundwater originating from the operation of the Prairie Island
nuclear generating plant and the adjacent independent spent-fuel storage installation,
including:
new text end

new text begin (1) selecting appropriate monitoring technologies to be installed;
new text end

new text begin (2) determining the proper number and location of monitors, taking site
characteristics and the location of vulnerable populations into account;
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new text begin (3) selecting public and private wells to test for groundwater contamination;
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new text begin (4) selecting parameters to be measured at each monitoring site;
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new text begin (5) establishing protocols for testing monitor precision and accuracy; and
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new text begin (6) providing for regular reporting of emissions.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By February 1, 2011, the work group shall submit a report to the
members of the senate and house of representatives committees with primary jurisdiction
over energy policy and public health containing the work group's recommendations for a
monitoring network that meets the requirements of subdivision 2. The report shall also
contain estimates of the cost of the recommended monitoring network, for both capital
acquisitions and operations, including the costs of laboratory analysis of samples.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING NETWORK FOR THERMAL
DISCHARGES FROM PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall contract with the University of Minnesota
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory or other comparable independent experts to develop a
comprehensive plan to monitor the thermal discharge from the Prairie Island nuclear
generating plant to the Mississippi River to enable accurate analysis of the impacts of
the discharge on aquatic ecosystems, dissolved oxygen levels, ice conditions, and the
ecology of the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin. The plan must contain, at a minimum,
recommendations on the number, type, and location of monitors to be installed, and the
capital and operating costs of the recommended network.
new text end

new text begin (b) The plan described in paragraph (a) must be contained in a report submitted no
later than November 15, 2010, to members of the senate and house of representatives
committees with primary jurisdiction over environmental policy and energy policy.
The report must also contain a discussion of potential measures that can be taken to
mitigate the thermal discharge from the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant, and the
estimated cost of each measure. Potential thermal discharge mitigation measures must be
provided to the Pollution Control Agency for consideration as potential conditions to be
incorporated in a permit modification requested by the Prairie Island nuclear generating
plant as a result of its proposed power uprate.
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Sec. 3. new text begin TRANSFER; APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin (a) The public utility that owns the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant shall
transfer $....... from the revenues transferred to the renewable development account under
Minnesota Statutes, section 116C.779, to the commissioner of health for deposit in the
special revenue fund.
new text end

new text begin (b) From the money transferred to and deposited in the special revenue fund under
paragraph (a), an amount sufficient to cover the costs associated with the work group
established in section 1 and the contract required in section 2 is appropriated to the
commissioner of health for the purposes of sections 1 and 2.
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Sec. 4. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
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new text begin Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final enactment.
new text end