Tuesday event: Our Minnesota climate
Hear the latest on climate change, its impact on Minnesota, what state government is doing, and how you fit in. Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan will give the welcome and
Commissioner Kessler will discuss the Climate Action Framework, and Rebecca
Place will summarize Minnesota’s efforts to address GHG emissions. Speakers from the Department of Transportation, the DNR, and the Department of Administration will fill out the agenda. Tuesday, November 1, noon-1 p.m.
Join Teams meeting. This event will also be recorded and made available for playback.
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Apply to join the MPCA Legislative team!
Applications are now being accepted for a temporary Legislative Assistant position in the MPCA Commissioner’s office. In this position, you will help the MPCA Legislative team advance the agency’s goals at the Capitol during the 2022 Legislative session.
This position is an excellent opportunity to learn the legislative process, to build your leadership skills, and to broaden your understanding of all MPCA program work. The position is anticipated to last approximately six to seven months, starting around early January. We currently anticipate that this position will require primarily in-person work, both at the Capitol Complex and at the MPCA St. Paul office. Learn more on the Lorax.
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Deadline approaching to apply for Leadership Academy
Questions about retirement benefits?
Representatives from the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) will be available Tuesday, November 1, for individual appointments. Employees will take away information on all three benefits MSRS provides: State Retirement Benefits (MSRS), Deferred Compensation, and Health Care Savings Plan.
Click on the time that works for you and fill in the requested information. You will get a confirmation email with your date and time. To register: meet in person or to meet via phone/Zoom.
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 Lunch is back. Breakfast too!
You've probably heard rumblings (not just the ones coming from your stomach) and they're true! The cafeteria is reopening the week of November 7 with offerings from various caterers for breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Breakfast will be served 7-9:15 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The breakfast menu is eggs, hashbrowns, bacon (turkey), sausage, muffins, and coffee, with waffle’s offered every other week.
Introducing Crisp & Green: Look for an email with instructions on how to download the Crisp & Green app, available in the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store & follow the prompts to create an account before you place your order. Individual orders will need to be placed by 10 a.m. the day of delivery. For any outstanding questions regarding your pick up spot, please contact your point of contact, Donya Dawson. For additional guidance on placing your order please contact Crisp & Green on Grand Avenue at 651-330-9739 or email us at stpaulgrand@crispandgreen.com.
Still time to give to the Combined Charities campaign
The 2022 Combined Charities Campaign continues its fund-raising efforts with the Cute Pet Photo Contest! Thank you to all who submitted amazing photos of your adorable pets!! Now it’s time to vote!! Through today, Monday, October 31, you can still vote for your favorite pet photo. Go to the Combined Charities Campaign Lorax page to get more information about the contest and a link to the voting site. The photo with the most votes wins a gift card to a local pet store.
There’s still time to check out and bid on items available on the On-Line Silent Auction! The auction runs through today, Monday, October 31 — check back often to update your bids!
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Recycling: Watch it happen live
Have you ever wanted to learn about what happens to your recyclables after they leave the curb? Sign up for a tour of Eureka Material Recovery Facility (2828 Kennedy St. NE, Minneapolis) to see recycling sorting live and in action! The Sustainability Team has organized an upcoming tour opportunity Thursday, December 1, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
If interested, please email Sustainability Coordinator Carla Inderrieden by Friday, November 11. Tours are limited to groups of 14, so let her know right away to secure your spot. Also, let Carla know if you are interested in carpooling from the Saint Paul office.
Send us your photos!
 Here's another awesome photo we received for this year's Voyageur Awards and the Awards for Continuous Improvement and Innovation ceremony slide show.
Send your photo(s) and a description to the MPCA mail box.
 Earlier in October, EPA Region V staff visited the St. Paul office over two days for an in-person, collaborative meeting to discuss our air program. MPCA and EPA discussed the MPCA Climate Action Framework, Clean School Bus Program, Environmental Justice in Air Quality, Air Toxics Emission Inventory and Monitoring, and the EPA and MPCA Air Sensor Programs.
MPCA air monitoring staff provided excellent tours of the MPCA air monitoring lab and one of the air monitoring sites in Blaine.
October’s 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.
Check out the event list on The Lorax. 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, so that there will be accountability and shared learning.
Leadership Forum: Leadership means leading change
Thursday, November 17, 2-3:30 p.m.
Everyone is a leader at some time or another. In order to respond to shifts in their organizations, teams and individual environments a strong leader must make sure people see the need for change, embrace change and manage change. Leadership is about helping people. We will look at what change looks like, explore a process for dealing with change effectively, and collectively develop a Change Management plan for a theoretical organizational situation. Anyone and everyone in the agency are welcome to attend. Brought to you by Leadership Forum.
Join the meeting
MPCA, DNR, Fond du Lac Band announce Enbridge enforcement resulting in $11M in payments, environmental projects, and financial assurances
The MPCA and DNR) announced the results from extensive enforcement investigations of water quality violations and aquifer breaches related to Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 pipeline construction project in northern Minnesota. Combined with the previous DNR actions, and in partnership with Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, these investigations have resulted in more than $11 million in payments, environmental projects, and financial assurances from Enbridge.— Northland Press
Loan program offered for updating existing septic systems
Todd County is taking advantage of the Clean Water Partnership Loan Program offered by the MPCA for updating existing septic systems. This program is available to anyone who wants to update their failed, old or undersized septic system. — Echo Press
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Last week in social media at the MPCA
As always, be sure to like and share with your networks!
Minnesota’s climate is already changing, and it’s impacting the environment, economy, and health of all our communities. The State has launched the Climate Action Framework, which reflects input from more than 3,000 Minnesotans on how we will address and prepare for climate change 🌎 Learn more about the framework: https://bit.ly/3eaT2oP #ourMNclimate Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Environmentally-friendly alternatives for businesses aren't out of reach! Businesses that want to become more sustainable have lots of options to choose from, from reducing energy use and waste to changing product formulations. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3FnhpOo Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
"In our land of 10,000 lakes, clean water plays a vital role in our health, quality of life, and economic prosperity. Minnesotans drink it, swim in it, and catch fish from it — even on the harshest days of winter." - Commissioner Katrina Kessler We're celebrating the Clean Water Act's 50th anniversary and the great strides we've made for Minnesota's water quality. Learn more from Commissioner Kessler about the act and how it has benefited our waters. Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
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