as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/20/2018 09:59am
A bill for an act
relating to environment; appropriating money for environmental science and permit
review.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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(a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of administration for a grant to the Minnesota
Environmental Science and Economic Review Board (MESERB), a municipal joint powers
organization under Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59, to review the scientific validity and
technical accuracy of:
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(1) water-quality standards;
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(2) total maximum daily load studies (TMDLs);
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(3) watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPs); and
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(4) national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits issued after August
1, 2017, with new or more restrictive effluent-limit requirements for publicly owned
wastewater treatment facilities outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined under
Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2.
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(b) MESERB may select the reviews to be conducted under paragraph (a). MESERB
must provide a copy of any reviews under paragraph (a) to the commissioner of the Pollution
Control Agency and any applicable permittee. On or before January 1 each year, MESERB
must submit a report summarizing the reviews performed under paragraph (a) to the
commissioner and the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees
having jurisdiction over capital investment and environment policy and finance.
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(c) This appropriation is available until expended. Money not expended for reviews
under this section may be used for reviews under section 2.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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(a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of administration for a grant to the Minnesota
Environmental Science and Economic Review Board (MESERB), a municipal joint powers
organization under Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59, to review draft national pollutant
discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits according to paragraphs (b) and (c).
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(b) MESERB may select the permits to be reviewed under this section, but must give
preference to reviewing any draft NPDES permit that has new effluent limit requirements
for a publicly owned wastewater treatment facility outside the seven-county metropolitan
area, as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2, when the Pollution
Control Agency issues the notice for public comment for the permit. Any review must
analyze:
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(1) the costs to the permittee to comply with the permit and the impact on user rates;
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(2) the environmental benefit of permit compliance; and
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(3) the technical accuracy of the permit requirements.
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(c) Upon completion of a review, MESERB must provide a copy of the review to the
permittee and the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency. By January 1 each year,
MESERB must submit a report summarizing its findings in each permit review performed
in the previous calendar year to the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency and to
the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over capital investment and environment finance and policy.
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(d) This appropriation is available until expended. Money not expended for reviews
under this section may be used for reviews under section 1.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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