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SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTANS for ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
SEMEP PROJECTS 1. THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA. SEMEP is a member of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP). MEP is a partnership of 70 Minnesota environmental and conservation organizations working to protect and preserve Minnesota's natural assets and environment. The Partnership provides (i) information sharing and education among environmental organizations, (ii) coordination of legislative advocacy and lobbying efforts, (iii) coordination and sharing of media strategies, and (iv) development of an affirmative agenda for Minnesota's environment and natural resources. David Williams, a SEMEP trustee, is a member of the board of directors of MEP, and works to provide a voice of southeastern Minnesota to MEP's decision-making process. SEMEP board members actively lobbied Minnesota legislators during the now ended 2007 legislative session, to achieve results on environmental issues of interest regionally and statewide, including (i) bonding and funding for the proposed Clean Water Legacy program to cleanup Minnesota streams, rivers and lakes, (ii) reducing mercury pollution of Minnesota waters by applying stricter standards to coal-powered electric utilities, and (iii) retaining long-held township and local government land use decision-making authority over proposed residential, commercial and agricultural developments. Funding of the Clean Water Legacy program was not achieved, and SEMEP will continue urging regional legislators to seek a consensus to provide for long term funding of this valuable program. SEMEP board members are currently working with the MEP government relations committee to develop an environmental lobbying issue agenda for the 2008 legislative session. SEMEP will report on the priority agenda items chosen by the MEP lobbyists to focus on for 2008. 2. PROPOSED EYOTA ETHANOL PLANT. Minnergy, an ethanol plant developer, proposes to build and operate and ethanol plant on Eyota Township property adjacent to the City of Eyota. Numerous residents joined to oppose the proposed ethanol facility. Neighboring residents are concerned about (i) heavy water consumption by the ethanol plant that would deplete aquifers and groundwater tables, (ii) toxic discharges into groundwater and fields, and (iii) polluting air emissions from the ethanol plant. Olmsted County Concerned Citizens (OCCC) was organized by neighboring residents to oppose the development, by meeting with representatives of the City of Eyota, Eyota Township, MPCA, Minnesota DNR and other agencies to oppose permitting of the proposed ethanol plant and annexation of the ethanol plant property to the City of Eyota. OCCC periodically meets with SEMEP to review strategies for continued opposition of the ethanol facility. Visit the OCCC website which is located at WWW.OLMSTEDC3.ORG The MPCA's Citizens Board is concerned about the heavy water consumption of ethanol plants in Minnesota. In November 2007, the Citizens Board directed the agency's commissioner to write to the governor and Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) requesting a study to determine if enhanced environmental review is needed of heavy water consumption of ethanol plants. 3. COMMERCIAL CAMPGROUND DEVELOPMENT. During 2007, developers proposed to build a commercial campground facility adjacent to the Root River in section 20 of Pilot Mound Township. Neighboring property owners of this rural area objected to this project which they claimed would adversely impact the Root River, their farming community and township roads in the area. SEMEP board members have been working with concerned township residents to urge the Pilot Mound Township board of supervisors to study campground development in the township and to adopt an interim ordinance (moratorium) to temporarily prohibit the development of campgrounds within the township while studying their potential impact upon the township and the Root River. After considerable pressure from neighboring township residents, the developers abandoned their effort to build and operate a commercial campground. However, these neighboring township residents continued to feel vulnerable to possible future campground development, and joined to propose campground siting and operating regulations that would minimize the adverse impact from possible future campground development. Extensive campground development along Highway 16 between Lanesboro, Whalen, Peterson and Rushford has created erosion problems for the Root River and density issues for people living in this area. Individual community leaders are also concerned about the ability of campground operators and users to quickly removed camping vehicles and equipment from floodplain areas if a flash flood should occur. SEMEP board members have also been working with the Fillmore County Planning Commission to enact stricter standards for siting and operating commercial campground facilities in Fillmore County. The Fillmore County Board of Commissioners adopted a moratorium on campground developments throughout the county. With the moratorium expiring, the Board of Commissioners has approved revisions to the Zoning Ordinance that would provide some siting and operating regulation of campground and RV park developments. 4. FOUNTAIN WASTEWATER DISPOSAL. The City of Fountain currently discharges its residential and industrial wastewater through a series of individual septic systems into a municipal drain field located in section 22 of Fountain Township. That municipal drain field is 15 years old, and is approaching the end of its designed life of 20 years. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been encouraging the City of Fountain to consider wastewater discharge alternatives to the municipal drain field, including constructing a small municipal wastewater treatment facility that would discharge treated wastewater to the surface into Watson Creek. Engineers for the City of Fountain have developed several facility options, which the Fountain City Council is considering. The cost of constructing and operating a small municipal wastewater treatment facility is a concern for the City of Fountain. Additionally, the City of Fountain must reach agreement with the MPCA on quality standards for discharging treated effluent to the surface and into Watson Creek. Valley Design, a metal finishing operator in Fountain, discharges approximately 11,500 gallons of metal finishing process wastewater per day into the Fountain municipal drain field. SEMEP board members have met with City of Fountain officials and MPCA representatives to discuss the environmental benefits and hazards of the various wastewater discharge options being considered. City of Fountain council members invited SEMEP board members to meet with them to discuss whether Fountain should (i) expand and renovate the existing drainfield, (ii) construct and operate a small mechanical treatment facility, or (iii) construct and operate a stabilization pond. All three options are similar in cost to construct. However, the stabilization pond option is apparently the least expensive of the three options to operate. The City of Fountain is being pressured by the MPCA to select an option soon, and move toward seeking a wastewater facility permit from the MPCA. SEMEP board members have urged MPCA staff to not allow the City of Fountain to construct and operate a stabilization pond. MPCA staff members have communicated their concerns about a stabilization pond to the City of Fountain. Finally, at a City of Fountain council meeting in October, their engineers recommended that the City of Fountain construct and operate a small mechanical wastewater treatment facility, instead of a stabilization pond. The city council approved this recommendation, and requested that the MPCA approve their revised plan to construct and operate a small mechanical wastewater treatment facility. SEMEP board members will continue to actively monitor this situation. SEMEP appreciates the efforts of the MPCA staff in reviewing this situation, and concluding that a stabilization pond or expanded municipal drain field is not an appropriate municipal wastewater facility for the karst area surrounding the City of Fountain. |