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Thursday, August 11, 2022 |
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Jean Coleman receives Environmental Statesman Award
Last week, Jean Coleman, a senior managing attorney at the agency, received the Environmental Statesman award from the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA).
The Environmental Statesman Award is the highest award this national organization hands out, and is presented to those ACWA members who have demonstrated outstanding service to the organization over a multi-year period. Nominees are proposed by the Executive Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.
Jean Coleman primarily advises the agency water programs. Her entire career has been devoted to natural resource protection, having worked for land conservation organizations in the Northeast and Midwest, and helping local governments incorporate natural resource protection into local plans and regulations. Jean says that ACWA has created an invaluable community in which she learns from other states about the leading water issues of the day and is able to share her experience with others.
Congratulations, Jean!
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Security update to computers on August 18
Next Thursday, August 18, MNIT will be pushing a security update to all computers. This update will not affect the functionality of your computer.
If you see any install errors at your next log in, please contact the service desk at 651-297-1111.
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Next week is deadline to purchase Linkedin Learning license
Human Resources is coordinating the purchase of LinkedIn Learning licenses for staff. The cost of a one-year license is $11, which provides a user with access to thousands of self-guided videos, articles, and courses on a wide range of topics. You do not need to be a member of LinkedIn’s professional networking site to access this learning platform.
If you are interested in a license, please discuss with your supervisor and obtain their approval. Once you have approval, email your license purchase request to alexis.factor@state.mn.us and cc your supervisor.
The deadline to request a license is Friday, August 19. Employees who already have a license do not need to reorder. Contact Alexis Factor with any questions you may have about the LinkedIn Learning program.
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Reminder: Nominate your colleagues for a job well done
Nominations open for MPCA’s 2022 Voyageur Awards and Awards for Continuous Improvement and Innovation. Please take a moment to nominate a colleague (or more!) for projects or ongoing work that help us to advance our mission and to serve Minnesotans in the best possible manner.
Before submitting your nomination, learn more about how to nominate on the Lorax. Nominating is simple to do. Just fill out the online nomination form between now and Monday, August 22. You may recognize as many teams or individuals as you like.
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Job openings
To search for more details on these job postings, sign into Self Service. Click on Careers Portal and enter the Job ID number in "Search Jobs."
Wastewater training specialist: This key employee will use their vast knowledge of the wastewater industry and experience to coordinate, develop, and implement classroom and online certification training, which includes seminars, conferences, and web-based education for wastewater treatment facility and collection system operators. Job ID: 58128. Location: Various. Closing date: September 2.
Lead certification & training specialist: This vital team member must maintain a close, cooperative working relationship with fellow colleagues in the Certification and Training Unit, and partner with policy, permitting, and enforcement units, and with other agency programs that are actively engaged or interested in certification, licensing, training, Need-to-Know, or program administration tools that are currently available to administrators of regulated industry professionals. Job ID: 58127. Location: Various. Closing date: August 31.
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Meet Mike Soe
Mike joined the Communication and Outreach Section as the agency's videographer in July. He will be shooting and editing MPCA-focused stories for social media and the web. Mike spent the last 17 years in newsrooms across the country. From Atlanta to Portland, Oregon, and most recently at KSTP.
Mike adds, "I’m always looking for story ideas, so feel free to pass those along!"
Find out more about Mike — including his superpower — on the Lorax.
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To qualify, a borrower must be an existing small business corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, or association with less than 100 full-time employees. Loan amounts range from $1,000 to $75,000. Read more.
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Water issues seminar: Collaborative and community-based stormwater management.
Thursday, August 11, 9-10 a.m.
Sadie Neuman, a GreenCorps member serving with the City of Rochester, will talk about why the city chose community-based social marketing rather than traditional community education and outreach to improve local water quality. She will focus on the new Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan and how to engage and collaborate with the community, agencies, partners, and other city departments.
Join Webex meeting
Equity Experience events
Equity Experience events offer a variety of ways to “experience” equity, so we can hold ourselves accountable to learning, growing, and engaging with this important work and our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In order to receive an IDEA credit for attending an Equity Experience event, you will be required to report what you learned, thought, experienced, etc. to your team. Check out the event list on The Lorax.
$300 million EV plan includes 730 high-speed chargers in Minnesota
Xcel Energy says it is spending $170 million on the plan and would also operate the chargers. The new chargers are in addition to 21 Xcel fast chargers the PUC greenlighted in March. The MPCA is building EV charging stations across the state with about $7 million from Volkswagen's nationwide legal settlement over cheating on vehicle emissions.
Massive Burnsville landfill expansion nears final approvals
A year's-long effort by Waste Management and Burnsville city officials to drastically increase the capacity and height of the Burnsville Sanitary Landfill is coming down the final stretch toward approval. The proposed expansion, which received a draft permit from the MPCA last month, would increase the landfill’s peak elevation by 262 feet and see new trash dumped on top of old, unlined portions of the landfill that predate modern-day regulations. — Bring Me The News
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Share with your networks!
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Join more than 1,400 Minnesotans who track the health of their favorite lake or stream — become a volunteer water monitor today! https://bit.ly/3oSg6O7
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A spoonful of... microplastics?
 Microplastics, plastic pieces smaller than 5 millimeters, have become increasingly prevalent in our natural world, and a number of studies published in the last three years shows that they’ve contaminated not only the ocean and pristine wildernesses, but our air, our food, and even our bodies.
Drinking water, including tap and bottled water, is the largest source of plastic in our diet, with the average person consuming about 1,769 tiny microplastic particles each week, according to a 2019 report supported by WWF. Other primary sources of microplastics include shellfish, beer, and salt. A new study published this year in Environmental Research found that microplastics were even present in common fruits and vegetables. Apples had one of the highest microplastic counts, with an average of 195,500 plastic particles per gram, while broccoli and carrots averaged more than 100,000 particles per gram.
Consumer Reports has some tips for how to minimize your exposure. Read more: How to Eat Less Plastic
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PCA 2Day is published twice each week Monday and Thursday. Staff are encouraged to submit story ideas and event details. Deadline for submission is noon of the prior business day. |
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