Bill > SF3541

This bill reinstates the citizen membership board for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), effectively reversing a 2015 legislative change that eliminated citizen oversight. The bill creates an eight-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate, with specific requirements for board composition. These requirements include ensuring board members represent diverse backgrounds, with mandates such as including at least one Tribal Nation member, three members from environmental justice communities, a small-scale farmer, and a labor union member. The board will have significant decision-making powers, including making final decisions on environmental permits, environmental impact statements, rule adoptions, and the ability to review and potentially overturn staff decisions. Board members are prohibited from having financial interests in projects before the agency and must reflect the state's demographic diversity. The bill also clarifies the roles of the board and the commissioner, specifying that certain important decisions must be made by the full board rather than solely by the commissioner. The purpose, as stated in the bill, is to restore citizen input and oversight to environmental decision-making, providing a check on agency staff actions and ensuring broader public representation in environmental policy.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3541&ssn=0&y=2025