Comments sought on proposed amendments to rules governing Environmental Review program
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) is considering revisions to nearly 50 rule elements governing the state’s Environmental Review program. The revisions address ambiguous or inconsistent language and new or amended requirements.
Environmental Quality Board issues water priorities report
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board today issued a call for legislative action that will safeguard the state’s core water programs, fund efforts to restore Minnesota’s impaired waters and protect Twin Cities water supplies.
“Minnesota’s success depends, in part, on maintaining the quality and quantity of our water resources,” said EQB Chair Bob Schroeder. “But Minnesota waters face increasing pressure from development, pollution, exotic species and growing demands for drinking water. How we protect our water resources today will determine whether Minnesota remains prosperous
Hearing in Hermantown on proposed recreational trail environmental review rules is rescheduled for Feb. 16
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board has rescheduled a public hearing at Hermantown on proposed rules establishing mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet and exemption thresholds for certain types of recreational trails. A hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2005 at Hermantown was cancelled because of heavy snow.
The hearing is rescheduled for:
Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Notice of Additional Days of Hearing
NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL DAYS OF HEARING
Highly important natural resources development category (new)
Since the 2004 legislative session, legislators and civic advocacy organizations have urged the EQB to adopt new mandatory categories for lakeshore development to address the great and growing development pressure now affecting lakeshore environments. In discussions regarding lakeshore development, it has become apparent that lakeshores are not unique and that similar development pressures affect many other highly important natural resources. EQB has been asked to adopt a new category designed to address development on the edges of such highly important natural resources.
Proposed recreational trail environmental review rules will be topic of January public hearing
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board will hold a public hearing in mid-January on proposed rules establishing mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet and exemption thresholds for certain types of recreational trails.
The hearing is scheduled for:
Animal feedlots: Environmental Quality Board study of mandatory threshold levels for environmental review
At its January 2004 meeting, the Environmental Quality Board asked its staff to examine the mandatory category threshold levels in the environmental review rules (Mn Rules parts 4410.4300 and 4410.4400). The Board wanted to know if the thresholds are still appropriately placed to balance environmental protection and public benefit with administrative burden.