HF 4129

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

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to environment; establishing a loan program 
  1.3             to provide zero-interest loans for sewage treatment 
  1.4             systems meeting certain criteria; appropriating money; 
  1.5             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.6             chapter 115. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [115.59] [POLLUTION PREVENTION AND WATER 
  1.9   CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY.] The commissioner of the 
  1.11  pollution control agency shall establish and implement a loan 
  1.12  program to provide zero-interest financing for the installation 
  1.13  of sewage treatment systems that reduce pollution and use less 
  1.14  water than standard individual sewage treatment systems as 
  1.15  defined in section 115.55 and sewer systems as defined in 
  1.16  section 115.01.  The commissioner may make zero-interest loans 
  1.17  to residents and business owners in the state consistent with 
  1.18  this section. 
  1.19     Subd. 2.  [APPLICATION PROCEDURE.] The commissioner shall 
  1.20  prescribe and provide the application form for zero-interest 
  1.21  loans under this section.  The application form must, at a 
  1.22  minimum, require: 
  1.23     (1) the name, address, and telephone number of the person 
  1.24  applying for the loan; 
  1.25     (2) the location where the proposed sewage treatment system 
  1.26  is to be installed; 
  2.1      (3) tests by a laboratory, certified by the state of 
  2.2   Minnesota, indicating that the sewage treatment system can treat 
  2.3   wastewater from the sewage treatment system to meet the 
  2.4   standards in subdivision 3; and 
  2.5      (4) financial information necessary to determine whether 
  2.6   the applicant has the ability to repay the loan. 
  2.7      Subd. 3.  [LOAN CRITERIA.] (a) The criteria in paragraphs 
  2.8   (b) to (e) apply to loans made under this section. 
  2.9      (b) Loans must be used for sewage treatment systems that 
  2.10  reduce water consumption by 30 percent compared to standard 
  2.11  individual sewage treatment systems and sewer systems and treat 
  2.12  wastewater to levels at or below the following standards:  ten 
  2.13  milligrams per liter for carbonaceous biological oxygen demand, 
  2.14  ten milligrams per liter for total suspended solids, five 
  2.15  milligrams per liter for nitrate nitrogen, and 200 most probable 
  2.16  number per 100 milliliters for fecal coliform. 
  2.17     (c) The loan amount must not exceed $16,500 or the cost of 
  2.18  installing the system, whichever is less. 
  2.19     (d) The term of the loan must not exceed 20 years. 
  2.20     (e) The person applying for the loan must demonstrate the 
  2.21  financial ability to repay the loan and provide collateral in an 
  2.22  amount equal to the loan value. 
  2.23     Subd. 4.  [POLLUTION PREVENTION AND WATER CONSERVATION LOAN 
  2.24  FUND; APPROPRIATION.] (a) A fund called the pollution prevention 
  2.25  and water conservation loan fund is created for the purpose of 
  2.26  making zero-interest loans to persons for sewage treatment 
  2.27  systems described in subdivision 1.  Money in the fund must be 
  2.28  invested pursuant to law.  The net interest and dividends from 
  2.29  the investments are included and become part of the fund. 
  2.30     (b) Money in the fund is annually appropriated to the 
  2.31  commissioner to provide loans pursuant to this section and to 
  2.32  pay the expenses of the commissioner in administering loans 
  2.33  pursuant to this section. 
  2.34     (c) Interest and principal payments of loans made pursuant 
  2.35  to this section must be credited to the fund. 
  2.36     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.1      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.2   commissioner of the pollution control agency for deposit in the 
  3.3   pollution prevention and water conservation loan fund. 
  3.4      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.5      Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2000.