ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Senate recently passed a comprehensive environment and natural resources bill to further support Minnesota’s critical environmental priorities. The bill continues Senate Republicans’ commitment to supporting groundwater preservation, recycling, regulatory reform, outdoorsmen, and Minnesota’s tourism industry.
Included in the comprehensive environment and natural resources bill is legislation authored by Coleman to fund a grant for a Laketown Township wastewater engineering study. Under this bill, Laketown Township will receive a onetime appropriation to prepare preliminary system design and cost estimates for connecting wastewater systems around Pierson Lake to municipal wastewater treatment systems.
“Around a third of homes in Laketown Township are on the 201 wastewater system, which has outlived its life expectancy and results in residents paying one of the highest sewer rates in the state,” Coleman said. “In order to determine the cost and best way to address the outdated system, my bill appropriates $86,000 to conduct an important engineering study. This is an issue I have regularly heard from my constituents on, and its passage delivers a solution for our community.”
Other notable policy provisions included in the comprehensive environment and natural resources bill:
- Prohibition of the DNR to impose or require unadopted rules without first being adopted under Minnesota statutes
- Establishment of a Mining Dashboard to improve the coordination, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of the environmental review and permitting process for metallic mineral mining projects
- Increased funding for Score Grants to assist counties with solid waste and plastic removal costs to keep our lakes and rivers clean
- Increased funding for Shooting Range Improvement Grants to increase outdoor shooting range capacity for youth shooters and the general public use
- Increased tourism funding to secure revenue-generating events around the state to support local economies
- Greater access for disabled Minnesotans by allowing them to use motor vehicles in wildlife management areas