Deputy Commissioner tours Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe climate change efforts
 Last week, Deputy Commissioner Peter Tester joined a tour with Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, showing off some of their green initiatives. The tour was organized by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Climate Change Subcabinet. The tour included an overview of the history and legacy of St. Regis Superfund Site and the Integrated Residential Builder Program. The program is a holistic response to climate change, energy, poverty and the disappearance of the band's natural resources. The day concluded with networking and a discussion of the future of sustainability on the reservation.
Reminder: Timesheets due today
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Due to the Veterans Day holiday on November 11:
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Staff need to complete their timesheets by 10 a.m. on Monday, November 7.
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Supervisors should have timesheets approved, validated, and ready to load by 2 p.m. on Monday, November 7.
Note to supervisors: If you will be gone during a payroll week, please arrange for a manager to approve and load your unit’s timesheets.
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Open enrollment deadline November 16
 The annual benefits open enrollment period runs through November 16. This is your opportunity to make benefit changes, like reviewing your clinic cost level or electing to contribute to pre-tax accounts. Visit the Lorax for more information.
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 2023 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. Learn more on the Lorax.
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Operations Division meets
 Last Tuesday, the Operations Division met for their annual division meeting both in-person and virtually. They group enjoyed a beautiful day at the Dodge Nature Center. Division Director Nicole Green opened the day with introductions and the division vision. Then Deputy Commissioner Peter Tester presented updates from the Commissioner's office. Later, Riley Spielman, MPCA's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant, offered Microaggression Training, which will be offered again to staff (see the post under the Events section below).
New contract/grant, amendment and RFPs online service
Beginning November 2, a new internal MPCA online service is available for submitting Contract/Grant, Amendment and Request for Proposals (RFP) requests into Tempo for approval. This online service has been designed to be a user-friendly method of capturing information that will then be pushed into Tempo for processing. Read more on the Lorax.
Deadline approaching to apply for Leadership Academy
Lunch is back. Breakfast, too!
For those in the St. Paul office, various caterers will be offering 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. Be sure to check it out.
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.
From Candice Christensen, "Mato Ska, Wylie, and I trying out dry land mushing. It was a hit!"
Send your photo(s) and a description to the MPCA mail box.
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Deadline approaching for waste reduction and reuse grants
The MPCA is offering Environmental Assistance (EA) grants for projects working to expand waste reduction and reuse, rental, and repair efforts around the state. These strategies have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, reduce the demand for resource extraction, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. By extending the useful life of existing materials and strengthening trained skillsets in repair, reuse also supports the local economy and increases access to products and services. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, November 17.
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Explore all that fat biking has to offer
Wednesday, November 9, 12-1 p.m.
The DNR will host a winter fat biking webinar with Gunnar Carlson from Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists. He will share some of the great opportunities to bike year-round in Minnesota. From trail etiquette to snow grooming, find out about the joy of winter fat biking and tips on getting started. Sign up for this webinar and others in the outdoor skills and stewardship series on the DNR website: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishwildlife/outreach/index.html
Water Issues Seminar: Rethinking chloride thresholds to protect fresh waters
Thursday, November 10, 9-10 a.m.
Dr. Willian Hintz from the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center will discuss the ecological impacts of road deicing salts and new evidence indicating that ecological impacts can occur at low salt concentrations — requiring us to re-think existing chloride thresholds and perhaps develop new ones.
Join Webex meeting.
Microaggressions training make-up session
Tuesday, November 15, 2-4 p.m. Join Teams meeting.
Wednesday, November 23, 1-3 p.m. Join Teams meeting.
Microaggressions often manifest through indirect, subtle, or unintentional behaviors or statements that do not necessarily reflect malicious intent, but can still create a hostile or discriminatory environment for groups or individuals. This training will go beyond the surface of changing superficial language and get at the beliefs and cultures that support microaggressions in the first place. Participants will also explore techniques for responding when someone has been microaggressive to enhance cultural responsiveness to provide a welcoming and inclusive workplace environment.
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
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
Recycling: Watch it happen live
Thursday, December 1, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
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 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.
 Minnesota readies high-tech effort to clean up 'forever chemicals'
State environmental authorities say they will soon deploy new technology to the Twin Cities eastern suburbs to help clean water supplies contaminated for years by so-called “forever chemicals.” The MPCA said Monday it’s purchased “state-of-the art” machinery designed to remove concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. — Austin Daily Herald
A wetter world is changing Midwest farming. Can growers adapt?
A hotter atmosphere is causing rain to fall in harder bursts, pushing back planting seasons and drowning crops. At the same time as human-driven climate change is juicing precipitation, Corn Belt farming practices such as installing underground drainage tiles and leaving fields bare after harvest are changing how water moves across the landscape and into waterways.In Minnesota, flows have doubled in the Minnesota River, which carries sediment and pollution from the state’s southern farm country into the Mississippi, according to a 2017 study from the MPCA.— Milwaukee Journal Sentinal
Last week in social media at the MPCA
As always, be sure to like and share with your networks!
Recycling materials into new products has great benefits for our environment, but did you know that it helps our economy too?  Approximately 37,000 jobs in Minnesota are supported by the recycling industry! Learn more about the benefits of recycling: https://bit.ly/3sjnnIC
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
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