Impaired waters stakeholder process
MEI’s Impaired Waters Stakeholder Process was an effort to gather input to help shape legislation addressing water pollution in Minnesota. Water pollutants in the state include mercury, fertilizers, human and animal waste. Of the water bodies that have been tested, 40% are contaminated, making it likely that the total number of polluted lakes, rivers and streams is large. These “impaired” waters can be a health hazard and prevent fishing, swimming, and other recreation. The Federal Clean Water Act requires all states to test their waters, identify polluted waters, and develop plans to ensure adequate clean-up; Minnesota risks major restrictions on development and growth if it doesn’t develop a plan for its impaired waters.


What MEI has done:
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency asked MEI to bring together stakeholders to develop a consensus set of recommendations that would satisfy the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act. This group (called the Group of 16 or G16) included representatives from agriculture, environmental groups, businesses, state and local governments who met over the course of three years to draft a legislative proposal called the Clean Water Legacy Act. On June 2nd, 2006, Governor Pawlenty signed the Clean Water Legacy Act into law and since then the legislature has provided approximately $27 million per year to fund what has been called the “nation’s most comprehensive and innovative model for implementing the Federal Clean Water Act.” Fully funding the legislation, however, requires over $80 million per year for at least ten years, most of which may be provided through tax revenues authorized by the Great Outdoors & Heritage amendment approved in the November 2008 election.

recommended links:
State of Minnesota Clean Water Initiative
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Clean Water Council
Policy Framework: Consensus Recommendations (518 KB)