Bill > HF1882

This bill establishes a process for approving site-specific modifications to sulfate water quality standards for waters with wild rice, particularly focusing on how the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) will handle such applications. The bill defines key terms like "affected permittee" (a permit holder discharging sulfate into specific waters) and "covered water" (waters identified in a 2017 document as potential wild rice waters), and outlines detailed requirements for submitting a site-specific sulfate standard application. To be considered complete, an application must include comprehensive background information, a proposed sulfate standard based on site-specific data, and monitoring data demonstrating that wild rice presence is not diminished at the proposed sulfate levels. The bill requires the PCA commissioner to process these applications without denying them before completing a related rulemaking process, and to avoid requiring permittees to spend money on sulfate treatment technologies. The commissioner must make a final determination on applications within 150 days and is mandated to complete the broader rulemaking process by January 15, 2027. Importantly, until the rulemaking is complete, the commissioner cannot designate waters as "wild rice waters" based solely on natural wild rice beds, providing a measured approach to regulating sulfate discharges.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1882&ssn=0&y=2025