SEMEP

Welcome to SEMEP's Internet Site

We are a tax exempt, non-profit environmental advocacy organization working to protect Southeastern Minnesota's people, natural assets and environment; while promoting sustainable economic development. We hope that your visit will be informative.

SEMEP NEWS and EVENTS

Is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Thinking of Regulating Atrazine?

Atrazine is the pesticide manufactured by Sygenta AG used widely by farmers throughout Minnesota for corn production to control broadleaf and grassy weeds. Several recent studies have claimed that atrazine has serious adverse health impacts on humans. On October 7th, the EPA announced that the federal agency would conduct a scientific evaluation of atrazine to determine if regulation of the use of this chemical is necessary.

The news release issued by the EPA stated: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching this year a comprehensive new evaluation of the pesticide atrazine to determine its effects on humans. At the end of this process, the agency will decide whether to revise its current risk assessment of the pesticide and whether new restrictions are necessary to better protect public health. One of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the U.S., atrazine can be applied before and after planting to control broadleaf and grassy weeds. EPA will evaluate the pesticide’s potential cancer and non-cancer effects on humans. Included in this new evaluation will be the most recent studies on atrazine and its potential association with birth defects, low birth weight, and premature births.

“One of Administrator Jackson’s top priorities is to improve the way EPA manages and assesses the risk of chemicals, including pesticides, and as part of that effort, we are taking a hard look at the decision made by the previous administration on atrazine,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. “Our examination of atrazine will be based on transparency and sound science, including independent scientific peer review, and will help determine whether a change in EPA’s regulatory position on this pesticide is appropriate.”

During the new evaluation, EPA will consider the potential for atrazine cancer and non-cancer effects, and will include data generated since 2003 from laboratory and population studies. To be certain that the best science possible is used in its atrazine human health risk assessment and ensure transparency, EPA will seek advice from the independent Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) established under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act."

What Position Does SEMEP Take On Various Environmental and Conversation Policy Issues?

Periodically, SEMEP prepare written policy papers on various environmental and conservation policy issues. Click here to read SEMEP's policy positions.

What Environmental and Conservation Policy Issues Are Minnesota Advocates Pursuing in 2009 and 2010?

In the political and economic environment of 2009 and 2010 Minnesota, what environmental and conversation projects are Minnesota advocacy groups pursuing? Minnesota politicians and citizens are clearly not in the mood to spend large amounts of public funds on environmental and conservation projects. Many Minnesota legislators and local government officials believe the environmental and conservation community made sizeable gains in 2008 with the passage of the Clean Water, Land Legacy Amendment, which constitutionally mandated a statewide sales tax increase to support environmental and conservation efforts. Legislators and local government officials now believe other projects should be given greater priority over environmental and conservation projects. Health care, education and transportation infrastructure are rising to the top of the legislative priority heap. Environmental and conservation advocates are being advised to not push for the funding of expensive projects.

But, environmental and conservation advocates do have policy projects they seek to pursue with Minnesota legislators, agency heads and local government officials. What are some of these projects? In brief, the latest policy efforts include the following:

1. Nuclear Moratorium. Since 1994, there has been a statewide moratorium in Minnesota on the construction of new nuclear reactors. Although nuclear energy is a low-carbon energy producer, the drawbacks to nuclear energy are: high cost of development and production; the production and storage of dangerous radioactive waste; and the high and intensive consumption of water. Efforts were made during the early 2009 legislative session to repeal the moratorium. Although proponents of nuclear energy were unsuccessful in repealing the moratorium, they will continue trying during the 2010 legislative session. Several Minnesota environmental groups will work to actively defend the nuclear moratorium.

2. Non-Ferrous Metallic Mining. The recent high prices of copper, nickel, platinum, tin and other metals has generated interest from large metallic mining operators to begin mining activity in the Duluth Complex of northern Minnesota. The process of metallic mining generates large quantities of waste rock to produce small quantities of recoverable metals. When the waste rock is exposed to air and moisture, chemical and biological reactions cause sulfuric acid and heavy metals to leach into nearby lakes, streams and watertables.

Several Minnesota environmental groups believe stronger financial assurance and monitoring should be imposed upon metallic mining operators to ensure that they clean up environmental damage, rather than leave the cost and burden of cleaning up the resulting pollution to taxpayers once they abandon their mining operations.

3. Complete Streets. Several Minnesota environmental groups would like the state and local governments to adopt a road and street design policy called 'Complete Streets'. This policy is essentially a design and engineering process that configures streets and roads for the safe and accessible use of all pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, transit riders and other users in addition to truck and car drivers. The policy would also refocus Mn/DOT's role as a multi-modal transportation agency rather than simply as a highway department.

4. Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Several Minnesota environmental groups are advocating that the Legislature adopt a low carbon fuel standard policy that would require oil refineries and blenders to reduce the carbon intensity of their produced transportation fuels by 10% by year 2020.

5. Community Based Energy Development. In 2005, the Minnesota Legislature adopted a policy encouraging local communities to participate in renewable energy development. This policy has been only mildly successful. Environmental advocates seek to modify this policy to encourage greater community energy development efforts. The proposed new policy would provide a feed-in tariff for eligible renewable energy projects, and financial incentives for member-owned utilities to update their electrical infrastructure. Eligible projects would include wind, solar, geothermal and biomass technologies owned by Minnesota residents, government, tribal councils, coops and non-profits. With increased financial incentives, operators of these projects would receive guaranteed interconnection and a power purchase rate equal to the cost of renewable energy generation plus a reasonable profit.

6. Minnesota Forests Network. The 58 state forests in Minnesota do not have a group of conservation-minded individuals organized to monitor and care for the well-being of these forests. The purpose of this network initiative would be to get the Legislature to encourage and fund a network of residents, cabin owners, frequent visitors and others who have an ongoing interest in forest protection.

These are some of the policy efforts being pursued by Minnesota environmental and conservation advocates over the next year into the 2010 legislative session. The economic and political environment will dictate how well any of these efforts succeed over the next year.

For additional information on these projects, click on our SEMEP Projects page. SEMEP will report on our progress to determine if these projects have a potential adverse environmental impact upon the communities and natural assets in which they are proposed.