Minnesota's 2016 Impaired Waters List submitted to EPA for approval

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January 2017

Agency submits 2016 Impaired Waters List to EPA for approval

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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) submitted Minnesota’s 2016 proposed Impaired Waters List to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval on Jan. 4, 2017.

The MPCA posted a draft version of the list for public viewing in July 2016. After a series of public meetings and a formal comment period, the agency made a few changes to the draft list based on public input. These changes consisted of removing three impairments from the list and adding six. This modified list was submitted to the EPA for its approval. This process of posting, revising, and submitting the Impaired Waters List occurs every two years, as required by the federal Clean Water Act.

As part of the public participation for the 2016 Impaired Waters List:

  • The agency held five meetings across Minnesota to talk about the listing process and the waterbodies impaired in the regions.
  • During the formal comment period, the agency received public comments from more than 700 individuals or organizations, and responded to each one.
  • Some comments warranted changes to the 2016 draft Impaired Waters List or the 2016 Guidance Manual (the document that explains how assessments are conducted).

Contents of the public meetings, the public comments, the MPCA responses to comments, and the updated Guidance Manual were all sent to EPA along with the 2016 proposed list for review.

Please note that the MPCA is continuing work to assess waters for the 10 mg/L sulfate standard in Minnesota Rules 7050.0224, subpart 2, that protects “water used for production of wild rice during periods when the rice may be susceptible to damage by high sulfate levels” as part of the 2016 Impaired Waters List. The MPCA plans to make the results of the wild rice sulfate standard assessments available in an addendum to the 2016 Impaired Waters List.

To view public comments, responses to comments, the Guidance Manual, or the 2016 proposed Impaired Waters List go to the Impaired Waters List webpage. For questions, contact Miranda Nichols (651-757-2614, miranda.nichols@state.mn.us).