HF 1051

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the environment; requiring the review of 
  1.3             cumulative impact information; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, subdivisions 1a, 2a, 
  1.5             5a. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  1.8   subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 1a.  For the purposes of this chapter, the following 
  1.10  terms have the meanings given to them in this subdivision.  
  1.11     (a) "Natural resources" has the meaning given it in section 
  1.12  116B.02, subdivision 4.  
  1.13     (b) "Pollution, impairment or destruction" has the meaning 
  1.14  given it in section 116B.02, subdivision 5.  
  1.15     (c) "Environmental assessment worksheet" means a brief 
  1.16  document which is designed to set out the basic facts necessary 
  1.17  to determine whether an environmental impact statement is 
  1.18  required for a proposed action.  
  1.19     (d) "Governmental action" means activities, including 
  1.20  projects wholly or partially conducted, permitted, assisted, 
  1.21  financed, regulated, or approved by units of government 
  1.22  including the federal government.  
  1.23     (e) "Governmental unit" means any state agency and any 
  1.24  general or special purpose unit of government in the state 
  1.25  including, but not limited to, watershed districts organized 
  2.1   under chapter 103D, counties, towns, cities, port authorities, 
  2.2   housing authorities, and economic development authorities 
  2.3   established under sections 469.090 to 469.108, but not including 
  2.4   courts, school districts, and regional development commissions 
  2.5   other than the metropolitan council.  
  2.6      (f) "Cumulative impact" means the impact on the environment 
  2.7   that results from incremental effects of the project in addition 
  2.8   to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future 
  2.9   projects regardless of what person undertakes the other 
  2.10  projects.  Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor 
  2.11  but collectively significant projects taking place over a period 
  2.12  of time. 
  2.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  2.14  subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  2.15     Subd. 2a.  Where there is potential for significant 
  2.16  environmental effects resulting from any major governmental 
  2.17  action, the action shall be preceded by a detailed environmental 
  2.18  impact statement prepared by the responsible governmental unit.  
  2.19  The environmental impact statement shall be an analytical rather 
  2.20  than an encyclopedic document which describes the proposed 
  2.21  action in detail, analyzes its significant environmental 
  2.22  impacts, discusses appropriate alternatives to the proposed 
  2.23  action and their impacts, and explores methods by which adverse 
  2.24  environmental impacts of an action could be mitigated.  The 
  2.25  environmental impact statement shall also analyze those 
  2.26  economic, employment and sociological effects that cannot be 
  2.27  avoided should the action be implemented.  To ensure its use in 
  2.28  the decision making process, the environmental impact statement 
  2.29  shall be prepared as early as practical in the formulation of an 
  2.30  action.  
  2.31     (a) The board shall by rule establish categories of actions 
  2.32  for which environmental impact statements and for which 
  2.33  environmental assessment worksheets shall be prepared as well as 
  2.34  categories of actions for which no environmental review is 
  2.35  required under this section.  
  2.36     (b) If cumulative impact information is available from a 
  3.1   governmental unit in the region where the proposed action is 
  3.2   planned, the responsible governmental unit must review and 
  3.3   include the cumulative impact on the environment from the 
  3.4   proposed action before completing an environmental assessment 
  3.5   worksheet. 
  3.6      (c) The responsible governmental unit shall promptly 
  3.7   publish notice of the completion of an environmental assessment 
  3.8   worksheet in a manner to be determined by the board and shall 
  3.9   provide copies of the environmental assessment worksheet to the 
  3.10  board and its member agencies.  Comments on the need for an 
  3.11  environmental impact statement may be submitted to the 
  3.12  responsible governmental unit during a 30 day period following 
  3.13  publication of the notice that an environmental assessment 
  3.14  worksheet has been completed.  The responsible governmental 
  3.15  unit's decision on the need for an environmental impact 
  3.16  statement shall be based on the environmental assessment 
  3.17  worksheet and the comments received during the comment period, 
  3.18  and shall be made within 15 days after the close of the comment 
  3.19  period.  The board's chair may extend the 15 day period by not 
  3.20  more than 15 additional days upon the request of the responsible 
  3.21  governmental unit.  
  3.22     (c) (d) An environmental assessment worksheet shall also be 
  3.23  prepared for a proposed action whenever material evidence 
  3.24  accompanying a petition by not less than 25 individuals, 
  3.25  submitted before the proposed project has received final 
  3.26  approval by the appropriate governmental units, demonstrates 
  3.27  that, because of the nature or location of a proposed action, 
  3.28  there may be potential for significant environmental effects.  
  3.29  Petitions requesting the preparation of an environmental 
  3.30  assessment worksheet shall be submitted to the board.  The chair 
  3.31  of the board shall determine the appropriate responsible 
  3.32  governmental unit and forward the petition to it.  A decision on 
  3.33  the need for an environmental assessment worksheet shall be made 
  3.34  by the responsible governmental unit within 15 days after the 
  3.35  petition is received by the responsible governmental unit.  The 
  3.36  board's chair may extend the 15 day period by not more than 15 
  4.1   additional days upon request of the responsible governmental 
  4.2   unit.  
  4.3      (d) (e) The board may, prior to final approval of a 
  4.4   proposed project, require preparation of an environmental 
  4.5   assessment worksheet by a responsible governmental unit selected 
  4.6   by the board for any action where environmental review under 
  4.7   this section has not been specifically provided for by rule or 
  4.8   otherwise initiated.  
  4.9      (e) (f) An early and open process shall be utilized to 
  4.10  limit the scope of the environmental impact statement to a 
  4.11  discussion of those impacts, which, because of the nature or 
  4.12  location of the project, have the potential for significant 
  4.13  environmental effects.  The same process shall be utilized to 
  4.14  determine the form, content and level of detail of the statement 
  4.15  as well as the alternatives which are appropriate for 
  4.16  consideration in the statement.  In addition, the permits which 
  4.17  will be required for the proposed action shall be identified 
  4.18  during the scoping process.  Further, the process shall identify 
  4.19  those permits for which information will be developed 
  4.20  concurrently with the environmental impact statement.  The board 
  4.21  shall provide in its rules for the expeditious completion of the 
  4.22  scoping process.  The determinations reached in the process 
  4.23  shall be incorporated into the order requiring the preparation 
  4.24  of an environmental impact statement.  
  4.25     (f) (g) If cumulative impact information is available from 
  4.26  a governmental unit in the region where the proposed action is 
  4.27  planned, the responsible governmental unit must review and 
  4.28  include the cumulative impact on the environment from the 
  4.29  proposed action before completing an environmental impact 
  4.30  statement.  Whenever practical, information needed by a 
  4.31  governmental unit for making final decisions on permits or other 
  4.32  actions required for a proposed project shall be developed in 
  4.33  conjunction with the preparation of an environmental impact 
  4.34  statement.  
  4.35     (g) (h) An environmental impact statement shall be prepared 
  4.36  and its adequacy determined within 280 days after notice of its 
  5.1   preparation unless the time is extended by consent of the 
  5.2   parties or by the governor for good cause.  The responsible 
  5.3   governmental unit shall determine the adequacy of an 
  5.4   environmental impact statement, unless within 60 days after 
  5.5   notice is published that an environmental impact statement will 
  5.6   be prepared, the board chooses to determine the adequacy of an 
  5.7   environmental impact statement.  If an environmental impact 
  5.8   statement is found to be inadequate, the responsible 
  5.9   governmental unit shall have 60 days to prepare an adequate 
  5.10  environmental impact statement.  
  5.11     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  5.12  subdivision 5a, is amended to read: 
  5.13     Subd. 5a.  The board shall, by January 1, 1981, promulgate 
  5.14  rules in conformity with this chapter and the provisions of 
  5.15  chapter 15, establishing:  
  5.16     (1) the governmental unit which shall be responsible for 
  5.17  environmental review of a proposed action; 
  5.18     (2) the form and content of environmental assessment 
  5.19  worksheets; 
  5.20     (3) a scoping process in conformance with subdivision 2a, 
  5.21  clause (e) paragraph (f); 
  5.22     (4) a procedure for identifying during the scoping process 
  5.23  the permits necessary for a proposed action and a process for 
  5.24  coordinating review of appropriate permits with the preparation 
  5.25  of the environmental impact statement; 
  5.26     (5) a standard format for environmental impact statements; 
  5.27     (6) standards for determining the alternatives to be 
  5.28  discussed in an environmental impact statement; 
  5.29     (7) alternative forms of environmental review which are 
  5.30  acceptable pursuant to subdivision 4a; 
  5.31     (8) a model ordinance which may be adopted and implemented 
  5.32  by local governmental units in lieu of the environmental impact 
  5.33  statement process required by this section, providing for an 
  5.34  alternative form of environmental review where an action does 
  5.35  not require a state agency permit and is consistent with an 
  5.36  applicable comprehensive plan.  The model ordinance shall 
  6.1   provide for adequate consideration of appropriate alternatives, 
  6.2   and shall ensure that decisions are made in accordance with the 
  6.3   policies and purposes of Laws 1980, chapter 447; 
  6.4      (9) procedures to reduce paperwork and delay through 
  6.5   intergovernmental cooperation and the elimination of unnecessary 
  6.6   duplication of environmental reviews; 
  6.7      (10) procedures for expediting the selection of consultants 
  6.8   by the governmental unit responsible for the preparation of an 
  6.9   environmental impact statement; and 
  6.10     (11) any additional rules which are reasonably necessary to 
  6.11  carry out the requirements of this section.  
  6.12     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  6.13     The act is effective the day following final enactment.