House votes 69-56 to block state’s Groundwater Protection Rule
On Monday, April 26, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted 69-56 to pass a bill to block the state’s Groundwater Protection Rule from going into effect without legislative approval.
Gov. Mark Dayton has promised a veto, but the blocking language exists in several other bills, meaning it may yet advance to the governor's desk as part of other legislation. >>
Our letter to the MN House on the Groundwater Protection Rule
FMR and our allies just sent this letter to the Minnesota House opposing proposed legislation to block our state’s Groundwater Protection Rule. >>
Environmental groups release statement on draft groundwater protection rule
FMR joined eight other conservation organizations in a statement on the state's proposed groundwater protection rule. >>
Governor announces changes to draft Groundwater Protection Rule
Tuesday, March 6, Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Fredrickson announced revisions to the states proposed groundwater protection rules.
While the final rule language won’t be released for public comment until May, the announcement outlined some major changes to the state’s preliminary draft, with improvements in some areas and major risks to public health and saftey in others. >>
Multiple bills undermine state drinking water protection authority
We can all agree that clean, safe drinking water should be accessible and affordable for everyone regardless of geography or income. Unfortunately, no fewer than five bills have already been introduced this session that undercut state authority to protect public and private wells from contamination through the 1989 Groundwater Protection Act. >>
Proposed MN nitrate rule fails to protect drinking water
Annual crops planted in rows, like corn and soybeans, are treated with nitrate fertilizers that are increasingly ending up in Minnesotan's drinking water. (Photo by Weekly Grist, Joe Dempsey.)
We can all agree that clean, safe drinking water should be accessible and affordable for everyone regardless of geography or income. Sadly, that’s not the case for many Minnesotans.
Nitrate used in cropland fertilizer is a leading source of drinking water contamination in Minnesota. Although essential for plant growth and health, excess nitrate harms aquatic life and human health and drives the formation of the “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. It's also extremely costly to Greater Minnesota communities.
That’s why FMR is working with our conservation allies to strengthen a new Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule – one of the few places in state law where regulators can require row-crop farming operations, the biggest source of nitrates, to reduce pollution to our waters. >>
Sigh... Environment bill signed. Legacy funds shifted.
We're pretty sure that when Minnesotans passed the Legacy Amendment, this isn't what they — what we — had in mind. Just signed by Gov. Mark Dayton, the environment bill shifts voter-mandated conservation funds to administrative costs. Thank you to all the River Guardians who tried to prevent this, we look forward to inviting you to happy hour soon to recap the session.
Gov. Dayton vetoes awful environmental bill! (But another is on the way.)
Friday, May 12, Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a historically bad omnibus environment bill. It sought to give polluters the right to write their own environmental impact statements, slashed funding for environmental agencies and even prevented cities from banning plastic bags. In short, it threatened to undermine Minnesota’s long tradition of protecting the water we drink and the air we breathe.
Act now: Save the buffers! Protect our waters
The Minnesota Legislature is considering rolling back the buffer law, undermining critical protection for Minnesota’s public waters.
FMR is asking all supporters of clean water to act now to protect Minnesota’s buffer law. Contact your representatives today!
Press statement re: Gov. Mark Dayton's '25 by 2025' announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To reduce water pollution 25 percent by 2025 we must change crop practices. We need crop diversity, farm drainage reforms, and new markets for sustainable, water-friendly perennial crops.
Feb. 3, 2017