Legislative update

A fair amount of good news has come from the State Capitol this session on matters related to clean water and the health of area residents who may be exposed to some toxic contaminants.

The approaching end of the state legislative session brings with it some good news on action that will benefit the Mississippi watershed.

Clean Water Legacy — Funding for the identification and cleanup of polluted waters across Minnesota has been approved. Although advocates had argued for the $100 million annual appropriation recommended by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and leaders of conservation and environmental groups, the final appropriation was about $26 million for each of the next two years. Still, the Legacy is now part of the states base budget and there is some assurance that it will continue to be funded in future years.

Dedicated Funding — The long-term decline of state general fund support for conservation and the environment (now near a 30-year low) has prompted advocates to call for a ballot measure allowing voters to earmark three-eighths of a cent of the state sales tax for clean water, habitat, and other quality of life programs. As of this writing, the State Senate had approved such a measure to be placed on the 2008 ballot, and the House was poised to vote.

Health-Based Standards for Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) — Concerned about the potential health risks of exposure to chemicals formerly manufactured by 3M and now found in groundwater, surface water and fish in the Metro, the Legislature approved and Governor Pawlenty signed a bill to require the Minnesota Department of Health to set health-based standards by August 1 for two of the compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonate. Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a family of manmade chemicals that have been used for decades to make products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. Common uses include nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets and fabrics, as components of fire-fighting foam, and other industrial applications.