MCEA October Newsletter
In this edition of MCEA’s Environmental Monitor:
- MCEA takes PolyMet to the MN Court of Appeals - again!
- Learn why local doctors say nitrate pollution poses a serious threat to public health
- Help us cross the finish line - send 1,000 signatures to the EPA for clean water
- Reserve your spot to our free PFAS webinar to learn about the next phase of the fight against forever chemicals.
- Check out photos from our annual fall event – Legally Green
- Read an update on a big win towards shutting down a polluting incinerator
- Save the dates for in-person events to connect with MCEA staff
- Get a jump on Give to the Max Day and save your in-box!
- Check out a recap of our in-person symposium on the 50th anniversary of the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)
- Test your knowledge with our trivia!
From left to right: MCEA staff Ann Cohen, Amelia Voss, Jay Eidsness, Kathryn Hoffman, Kevin Reuther, Heidi Guenther, Leigh Currie, and Joy Anderson at the Minnesota Court of Appeals for the PolyMet air pollution permit case this month.
The top-five things you need to know about the PolyMet air pollution permit
MCEA staff attorney, Jay Eidsness, presented oral argument to the Court of Appeals on the PolyMet air pollution permit case this past month as we continue to expose the seismic problems with the company’s sulfide-mining proposal for Northeastern Minn. This is the “bait and switch” case where we argue the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency must investigate whether PolyMet should have applied for a different permit because the company’s current intent is to run a much larger mine than the permit it applied for allows.
Click here to learn the top five things you should know about this ongoing case - which has stretched on for more than five years!
Drinking water contamination in southeast Minnesota comes largely from agricultural sources like manure from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and fertilizer from crops. Run-off from these sources leads to dangerous nitrate levels that arelinked to cancer, birth defects and pregnancy complications.
This summer, MCEA’s Water Program intern Isaac Conrad, interviewed two public health experts, Dr. Aleta Borrud and Dr. Katie Loth, to learn more about the risks. As Minnesota practitioners, they have both a personal and professional investment in guaranteeing that all Minnesotans have access to clean drinking water at their tap.
It’s going to take large-scale structural changes to make sure all Minnesotans have access to clean drinking water, but we can do it. MCEA is committed to advocating for the action and regulations we need to protect our state’s water from this pollution.
Read his story to find out more.
We’re close to one thousand signatures – your name could be the one that gets us to our goal!
This past spring MCEA, along with nine other organizations, filed a petition asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its emergency authority to intervene in the nitrate-contaminated drinking water crisis in the karst region of Minnesota.
Later this month, MCEA will share our petition signatures with the EPA. The more names we’ve collected, the more likely the federal agency will heed our call to intervene. If you haven’t already - add your name today.
Share the link with friends and family to help us cross the finish line!
Give to the Max Day (GTMD) is on November 16th this year. Since Minnesota’s day for philanthropy launched in 2009, GTMD has raised more than $450,000 for MCEA - providing tremendous support for projects that defend Minnesota’s resources by holding industries and agencies accountable.
It’s also a time when we all see our inboxes flooded with requests. We have a simple solution: If you donate early, we’ll match your gift and opt you out of the remainder of the campaign emails.
When you donate to MCEA through GiveMN by November 10 we will:
- Match your donation dollar for dollar, doubling its impact.
- Opt your address out of the GTMD campaign emails the following week.
That’s a win-win-win: MCEA will receive critical support, you’ll get the satisfaction of taking action towards a better environmental future, AND you’ll simplify your inbox.
Hennepin County is moving towards shutting down the HERC incinerator
On Tuesday, October 24th county commissioners voted to begin the process to retire the HERC incinerator. MCEA Healthy Communities Program director, Evan Mulholland, spoke at a Hennepin County Board meeting earlier in the month, urging commissioners to set a date that acknowledges the toll the incinerator’s pollution takes on the community’s public health. Although the Board’s resolution could leave the community in North Minneapolis facing this pollution until 2040, there’s a strong coalition of community members and environmental organizations dedicated to ending this environmental injustice much sooner.
MCEA supports the HERC’s closure because of the history of environmental racism in North Minneapolis, but also because the science backs it up. There are many misconceptions and outdated information sources touting the advantages of incineration over landfilling. Read our guide to make sure you know the facts.
Join MCEA Water Program Director Carly Griffith and University of Minnesota Professor and PFAS expert Dr. Matt Simcik at noon Tuesday, November 7th for an in-depth discussion on one of PFAS’ primary pathways into our environment, as well as what Minnesota is and isn’t doing to address it. This webinar is free and open to the public.
Griffith and Simcik will share findings detailed in MCEA’s new report - Forever Chemicals in our Wastewater: A state by state approach to stopping the spread of PFAS. The report examines the leading role wastewater streams - like wastewater treatment plant discharge and biosolids – play in the spread of PFAS across our state. It also documents concerning PFAS levels found in four waterways MCEA tested this past summer.
Click here to reserve your spot to the one-hour webinar: Beyond the Ban: The next stage of Minnesota’s PFAS fight.
Town hall forum on nitrate pollution: Thursday, November 16th from 7 to 8:30 PM at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, MN. MCEA Water Program director, Carly Griffith, will join other experts to discuss the nitrate-pollution problem in Fillmore County. This event is free and open to the public.
Lessons from Honduras: Monday, November 13 from 6:30 to 8PM at the University of Minnesota Duluth. MCEA’s Northeastern Program director, JT Haines, will join Sen. Jen McEwen, Fond du Lac Elder Ricky Defoe, Shanai Matteson from Honor the Earth, Jenna Yeakle from Sierra Club, and Jackson Faris, MCEA intern, to reflect on lessons learned from a recent trip to Honduras about the impacts of mining. This event is free and open to the public.
More reflections on Honduras and mining: “Water, Mining and Climate Justice: a conversation about mining impacted communities” is tentatively scheduled for November 20 from 6:30 to 8 PM, at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. MCEA Northeastern Program director, JT Haines, and MCEA CEO, Kathryn Hoffman, will join others to speak more about lessons learned from a Minnesota delegation's recent trip to Honduras. Stay tuned for additional details.
Left: MCEA staff Katie Cashman and Mainhia Thao pose for a picture. Top right: Water program director Carly Griffith and staff attorney Amelia Voss talk to supporters. Lower right: CEO Kathryn Hoffman speaks to supporters.
Thank you for a great Legally Green on the River!
Thank you to all our supporters who came to Legally Green on the River 2023. On a day that saw a record-breaking high temperature in the Twin Cities, over 250 people gathered on the banks of the Mississippi to proudly commit to action for a better environmental future. Your passion for clean air, clean water, and a thriving environment raised more than $164,000 for our work. We are so grateful for your support.
Check out more photos from the event!
MCEA is grateful to our Legally Green on the River 2023 presenting sponsor, Manitou Fund, as well as our additional sponsors, Compass Capital Management, Madigan, Dahl & Harlan, P.A., MetroPlains Management, LLC, and OPOC.us.
MCEA Deputy Director and Chief Legal Officer Kevin Reuther hosting the Green Beagle seminar.
We’ve wrapped up another successful Green Beagle - our annual CLE series
A big thank you to everyone who attended our in-person symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act, Minnesota’s environmental review law. We had three engaging sessions presented by MCEA lawyers.
It’s always great to connect with other people as passionate about environmental laws and protections as we are.
Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the final appeal of the MN Auto Dealers Association (MADA) in regard to Minnesota's Clean Cars Rule. MADA sued because they claimed the rule's target of 6% EV sales by 2025 was unreasonable and it would hurt their business.
What percentage of cars sold in the US last quarter were battery electric vehicles?
a) 1.6%
b) 2.8%
c) 5.1%
d) 7.9%
MCEA is Minnesota’s leading nonprofit environmental law and public policy organization working to protect our environment and the health of our people.