HF 3649

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to the environment; requiring an annual 
  1.3             environmental report card; proposing coding for new 
  1.4             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [116.015] [MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 
  1.7   CARD.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENT.] By March 1 
  1.9   of each year, the pollution control agency must prepare a report 
  1.10  to Minnesota citizens on the status of the state's environmental 
  1.11  quality and on the degree of compliance in the state with 
  1.12  environmental protection laws and rules.  The agency must also 
  1.13  compare the current findings to the findings in the previous 
  1.14  report, if any. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [WATER.] The annual environmental report required 
  1.16  by this section must include the agency's best estimate of: 
  1.17     (1) the number of water bodies in the state that failed to 
  1.18  meet as of December 31 of the previous year water quality 
  1.19  standards for one or more of the water body's designated 
  1.20  beneficial uses; 
  1.21     (2) the amount of ammonia, dissolved oxygen, fecal 
  1.22  coliform, phosphorous, biological oxygen demand, and total 
  1.23  suspended solids discharged into water bodies in the state 
  1.24  during the previous calendar year, as well as the amount of 
  1.25  lead, copper, mercury, arsenic, chromium, nitrate, iron, 
  2.1   manganese, total trihalomethane, volatile organic compounds, and 
  2.2   bacteria discharged into water bodies in the state used for 
  2.3   drinking water purposes during the previous calendar year; 
  2.4      (3) the total amount of water pollution that was emitted in 
  2.5   the state during the previous calendar year; 
  2.6      (4) the number of National Pollution Discharge Elimination 
  2.7   System permit violations in the state during the previous 
  2.8   calendar year; 
  2.9      (5) the number of unpermitted releases of pollutants into 
  2.10  waters of the state reported to the agency during the last 
  2.11  calendar year, along with the type of pollutants released and 
  2.12  amounts; 
  2.13     (6) the number of private wells that fail to meet water 
  2.14  quality standards for drinking water use by humans or water 
  2.15  quality standards for animal consumption; and 
  2.16     (7) the issues of emerging importance with regard to 
  2.17  protection of the water. 
  2.18     Subd. 3.  [AIR.] The annual environmental report required 
  2.19  by this section must include the agency's best estimate of: 
  2.20     (1) the number of moderate and unhealthy air quality days, 
  2.21  measured using the Pollution Standards Index, during the 
  2.22  preceding calendar year in the following areas:  the Twin Cities 
  2.23  metropolitan area, St. Cloud, Rochester, and Duluth, reporting 
  2.24  the results for each area individually; 
  2.25     (2) the degree to which air quality standards were met for 
  2.26  criteria contaminants and air toxics during the preceding 
  2.27  calendar year in the following areas:  the Twin Cities 
  2.28  metropolitan area, St. Cloud, Rochester, and Duluth, reporting 
  2.29  the results for each area individually; 
  2.30     (3) the air toxics that exceeded the health risk bench 
  2.31  mark, including the locations where each air toxic exceeded the 
  2.32  health risk bench mark; 
  2.33     (4) the number of air permit violations in the state during 
  2.34  the preceding calendar year; 
  2.35     (5) the total amount of air pollutants emitted in the state 
  2.36  during the preceding calendar year; and 
  3.1      (6) the issues of emerging importance with regard to 
  3.2   protection of the air. 
  3.3      Subd. 4.  [LAND.] The annual environmental report required 
  3.4   by this section must include the agency's best estimate of: 
  3.5      (1) the total number of acres of polluted land in the 
  3.6   state, including sites on the state permanent list of 
  3.7   priorities, sites on the federal National Priorities List, land 
  3.8   being cleaned up voluntarily that is not on the permanent list 
  3.9   of priorities or the national list of priorities, unpermitted 
  3.10  dump sites, and any other polluted land; 
  3.11     (2) the number of sites in the state on the state permanent 
  3.12  list of priorities; 
  3.13     (3) the number of sites in the state on the federal 
  3.14  National Priorities List; 
  3.15     (4) the total number of acres of polluted land that has 
  3.16  been cleaned up during the previous year, as well as a breakdown 
  3.17  by level of cleanup in terms of future permitted use; 
  3.18     (5) the number of unpermitted releases of pollutants onto 
  3.19  or into land during the last calendar year reported to the 
  3.20  agency, along with the type of chemicals released and the 
  3.21  quantities; and 
  3.22     (6) the issues of emerging importance with regard to 
  3.23  protection of the land. 
  3.24     Subd. 5.  [WASTE GENERATION; RECYCLING.] The annual 
  3.25  environmental report required by this section must include the 
  3.26  agency's best estimate of: 
  3.27     (1) the total amount of waste generated in the state during 
  3.28  the previous calendar year; 
  3.29     (2) the total amount of mixed municipal solid waste 
  3.30  generated in the state during the previous calendar year; 
  3.31     (3) the recycling rates for residential waste and 
  3.32  commercial waste, separately stated; and 
  3.33     (4) the issues of emerging importance with regard to waste 
  3.34  generation and management. 
  3.35     Subd. 6.  [ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT.] The annual 
  3.36  environmental report required by this section must include the 
  4.1   agency's best estimate of: 
  4.2      (1) the number of inspections of permitted facilities 
  4.3   during the previous calendar year; 
  4.4      (2) the number of violations of permit requirements during 
  4.5   the previous calendar year; and 
  4.6      (3) the number of enforcement actions brought by the agency 
  4.7   during the previous calendar year. 
  4.8      Subd. 7.  [INFORMING THE PUBLIC.] The agency must inform 
  4.9   the public of its findings by, at a minimum, making each annual 
  4.10  report available to the public on the agency's World Wide Web 
  4.11  page and through other means.  The agency may charge members of 
  4.12  the public requesting a paper copy of the annual report for the 
  4.13  actual cost of duplication and mailing.