1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to environment; appropriating money for environmental science and permit 
1.3 	review.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE REVIEW.
 1.6 	(a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from 
1.7 	the general fund to the commissioner of administration for a grant to the Minnesota 
1.8 	Environmental Science and Economic Review Board (MESERB), a municipal joint powers 
1.9 	organization under Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59, to review the scientific validity and 
1.10 	technical accuracy of:
1.11 	(1) water-quality standards;
1.12 	(2) total maximum daily load studies (TMDLs);
1.13 	(3) watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPs); and
1.14 	(4) national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits issued after August 
1.15 	1, 2017, with new or more restrictive effluent-limit requirements for publicly owned 
1.16 	wastewater treatment facilities outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined under 
1.17 	Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2.
1.18 	(b) MESERB may select the reviews to be conducted under paragraph (a). MESERB 
1.19 	must provide a copy of any reviews under paragraph (a) to the commissioner of the Pollution 
1.20 	Control Agency and any applicable permittee. On or before January 1 each year, MESERB 
1.21 	must submit a report summarizing the reviews performed under paragraph (a) to the 
2.1 	commissioner and the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees 
2.2 	having jurisdiction over capital investment and environment policy and finance.
2.3 	(c) This appropriation is available until expended. Money not expended for reviews 
2.4 	under this section may be used for reviews under section 2.

2.5 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.6 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; ANALYSIS OF COST AND WATER QUALITY 
2.7 	IMPACT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER.
 2.8 	(a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from 
2.9 	the general fund to the commissioner of administration for a grant to the Minnesota 
2.10 	Environmental Science and Economic Review Board (MESERB), a municipal joint powers 
2.11 	organization under Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59, to review draft national pollutant 
2.12 	discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits according to paragraphs (b) and (c).
2.13 	(b) MESERB may select the permits to be reviewed under this section, but must give 
2.14 	preference to reviewing any draft NPDES permit that has new effluent limit requirements 
2.15 	for a publicly owned wastewater treatment facility outside the seven-county metropolitan 
2.16 	area, as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2, when the Pollution 
2.17 	Control Agency issues the notice for public comment for the permit. Any review must 
2.18 	analyze:
2.19 	(1) the costs to the permittee to comply with the permit and the impact on user rates;
2.20 	(2) the environmental benefit of permit compliance; and
2.21 	(3) the technical accuracy of the permit requirements.
2.22 	(c) Upon completion of a review, MESERB must provide a copy of the review to the 
2.23 	permittee and the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency. By January 1 each year, 
2.24 	MESERB must submit a report summarizing its findings in each permit review performed 
2.25 	in the previous calendar year to the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency and to 
2.26 	the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction 
2.27 	over capital investment and environment finance and policy.
2.28 	(d) This appropriation is available until expended. Money not expended for reviews 
2.29 	under this section may be used for reviews under section 1.

2.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.