HF 4563

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/23/2022 10:39am

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; establishing a legacy mine water management account;
requiring a report; transferring money; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2020, section 93.46, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new
law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 93.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 93.46, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 11. new text end

new text begin Legacy mine. new text end

new text begin "Legacy mine" means land that:
new text end

new text begin (1) has been mined for iron ore and before January 1, 1980:
new text end

new text begin (i) was closed or abandoned; or
new text end

new text begin (ii) production ceased; and
new text end

new text begin (2) is not subject to sections 93.44 to 93.51.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [93.475] LEGACY MINE WATER MANAGEMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Legacy mine water management account. new text end

new text begin A legacy mine water
management account is established as an account in the natural resources fund. All money
earned by the account must be credited to the account. Money in the account is appropriated
to the commissioner and may be spent only to:
new text end

new text begin (1) design and construct systems and structures needed to control water flows into and
out of open pit legacy mines;
new text end

new text begin (2) operate and maintain water monitoring and outflow structures at legacy mines; and
new text end

new text begin (3) design, construct, operate, and maintain other mitigation measures to prevent or
address flooding and environmental degradation from legacy mines.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By January 15 each year, the commissioner must submit a report to
the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with
jurisdiction over environment and natural resources that includes an update on water levels
of legacy mine pits and, for the previous fiscal year, details on any expenditures from the
legacy mine water management account and any other actions or expenditures taken to
address legacy mines.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Water management responsibility. new text end

new text begin The commissioner is responsible for
managing water at legacy mines, including monitoring and controlling water levels and
operating and maintaining water control structures.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin LEGACY MINE MITIGATION PRIORITIZATION REPORT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of natural resources must assess legacy mines, including mine
pits, water reservoirs, auxiliary mine lands, and environmentally degraded areas, to determine
what mitigation measures are needed based on:
new text end

new text begin (1) the threat to public safety and welfare posed by potential damage;
new text end

new text begin (2) the possible displacement of people or businesses due to flooding or environmental
conditions;
new text end

new text begin (3) the economic, social, and environmental benefits of proposed mitigation measures;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) other factors determined by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must develop a report that includes an inventory of the mitigation
measures identified in paragraph (a), a prioritized list of the measures, and funding
recommendations and submit the report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over environment and natural resources
by June 30, 2023. The report must include an inventory of all legacy mine pits, including
a prioritization, based on the threat to public safety and welfare, of the mine pits at Canisteo
Mine, Hill-Annex Mine, and St. James Mine.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin LEGACY MINE WATER MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT; TRANSFERS.
new text end

new text begin $30,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is transferred from the general fund to the legacy mine
water management account. This is a onetime transfer.
new text end