HF 672

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/06/2023 06:43pm

A bill for an act
relating to environment; requiring public meeting every five years for certain
nonexpiring air emission permits; requiring denial of request for permit review to
be in writing and to state reason for denial; requiring creation of full-time equivalent
position; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116.07, by adding
subdivisions.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116.07, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 4m. new text end

new text begin Nonexpiring state individual permits; public informational meeting. new text end

new text begin (a)
For each facility issued a nonexpiring state individual air quality permit by the agency, the
agency must hold a separate public informational meeting at regular intervals to allow the
public to make comments or inquiries regarding any aspect of the permit, including but not
limited to permit conditions, testing results, the facility's operations, and permit compliance.
The public informational meeting must be held at a location near the permitted facility and
convenient to the public. Individuals employed at the facility who are responsible for the
facility meeting the conditions of the permit and agency officials must be present at the
public informational meeting. For nonexpiring state individual air quality permits issued or
reissued after December 31, 2018, a public informational meeting must be held under this
subdivision no later than five years after the permit is issued or reissued and every five years
thereafter. For nonexpiring state individual air quality permits issued on or before December
31, 2018, a public informational meeting must be held under this subdivision no later than
December 31, 2024, and every five years thereafter.
new text end

new text begin (b) For the purposes of this section, "state individual air quality permit" means an air
quality permit that:
new text end

new text begin (1) is issued to an individual facility that is required to obtain a permit under Minnesota
Rules, part 7007.0250, subparts 2 to 6; and
new text end

new text begin (2) is not a general permit issued under Minnesota Rules, part 7007.1100.
new text end

new text begin (c) As required under subdivision 4d, the agency's direct and indirect reasonable costs
of conducting the activities under this subdivision must be recovered through air quality
permit fees.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116.07, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:

new text begin Subd. 4n. new text end

new text begin Permit review denial. new text end

new text begin If the commissioner determines that a person's request
for the agency to review an existing permit is not warranted, the commissioner must state
the reasons for the determination in writing within 15 days of the determination.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin POSITION ESTABLISHED; POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency must establish a new full-time
equivalent position of community liaison, funded through air quality permit fees, as specified
in Minnesota Statutes, section 116.07, subdivision 4d, to conduct the administrative tasks
necessary to successfully implement Minnesota Statutes, section 116.07, subdivision 4m,
and other regulatory activities requiring interaction between the agency and residents in
communities exposed to air pollutants emitted by facilities permitted by the agency.
new text end