HF 110

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to environment; requiring a risk evaluation 
  1.3             for certain water quality standards; proposing coding 
  1.4             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 115. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [115.446] [HEALTH STANDARDS.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [CRITERIA.] When establishing or revising 
  1.8   water quality standards, the commissioner of the pollution 
  1.9   control agency must determine: 
  1.10     (1) whether the standards take into account any health 
  1.11  risks to male and female infants, male and female children, and 
  1.12  male and female adults, to protect the health of each group with 
  1.13  a margin of safety; and 
  1.14     (2) whether the standards adequately protect health with a 
  1.15  margin of safety by taking into consideration each of the 
  1.16  following specific risks: 
  1.17     (i) adverse reproductive outcomes; 
  1.18     (ii) respiratory disease; 
  1.19     (iii) immunologic suppression; 
  1.20     (iv) cancer; 
  1.21     (v) neurological development; 
  1.22     (vi) endocrinal (hormonal) functioning; 
  1.23     (vii) general infant and child development; and 
  1.24     (viii) any other important health outcomes identified by 
  1.25  the commissioner. 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [NECESSARY RISK STANDARD.] If the commissioner of 
  2.2   the pollution control agency determines that an existing or 
  2.3   proposed standard under the commissioner's authority does not 
  2.4   satisfy the requirements of subdivision 1, the commissioner must 
  2.5   establish a risk standard that satisfies the requirements. 
  2.6      Subd. 3.  [MINIMIZATION OF RISK.] If the commissioner under 
  2.7   subdivision 2 is unable to determine whether a standard 
  2.8   satisfies the requirements of subdivision 1, the commissioner 
  2.9   must identify methods to minimize or prevent exposure to the 
  2.10  human population. 
  2.11     Subd. 4.  [REPORT REQUIRED.] The commissioner must report 
  2.12  to the house and senate environment and natural resources 
  2.13  committees regarding risk standards under subdivision 2 or 
  2.14  identified methods under subdivision 3 that have been issued to 
  2.15  meet the requirements of law.  The report is a biannual 
  2.16  requirement beginning January 15, 2003.