2007 Minnesota Statutes

116G.15 MISSISSIPPI RIVER CRITICAL AREA.
(a) The federal Mississippi National River and Recreation Area established pursuant to
United States Code, title 16, section 460zz-2(k), is designated an area of critical concern in
accordance with this chapter. The governor shall review the existing Mississippi River critical
area plan and specify any additional standards and guidelines to affected communities in
accordance with section 116G.06, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clauses (3) and (4), needed to
insure preservation of the area pending the completion of the federal plan.
The results of an environmental impact statement prepared under chapter 116D begun before
and completed after July 1, 1994, for a proposed project that is located in the Mississippi River
critical area north of the United States Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam Number One
must be submitted in a report to the chairs of the environment and natural resources policy and
finance committees of the house of representatives and the senate prior to the issuance of any state
or local permits and the authorization for an issuance of any bonds for the project. A report made
under this paragraph shall be submitted by the responsible governmental unit that prepared the
environmental impact statement, and must list alternatives to the project that are determined by the
environmental impact statement to be economically less expensive and environmentally superior
to the proposed project and identify any legislative actions that may assist in the implementation
of environmentally superior alternatives. This paragraph does not apply to a proposed project to
be carried out by the Metropolitan Council or a metropolitan agency as defined in section 473.121.
(b) If the results of an environmental impact statement required to be submitted by paragraph
(a) indicate that there is an economically less expensive and environmentally superior alternative,
then no member agency of the Environmental Quality Board shall issue a permit for the facility
that is the subject of the environmental impact statement, other than an economically less
expensive and environmentally superior alternative, nor shall any government bonds be issued for
the facility, other than an economically less expensive and environmentally superior alternative,
until after the legislature has adjourned its regular session sine die in 1996.
History: 1991 c 303 s 8; 1994 c 639 art 6 s 1; 1995 c 254 art 1 s 71