Celine Lyman retiring April 4
Celine Lyman is retiring on April 4. When she first started at the MPCA in 1985 one of her job duties was collecting water quality samples from streams and rivers around the state nine months a year for the Routine Monitoring Program. She adds, "It was a great opportunity to see the beautiful rivers in Minnesota, from the northern woods to the prairies to the metro area in all the seasons." Read more about Celine’s career on the Lorax.
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Juline Holleran is retiring
After 51½ years of state service, Juline Holleran has decided to retire. Come and join us on Thursday, April 13, 2-4 p.m. (program at 3 p.m.) in the MPCA lower-level central conference room. There will be cake and punch to wish her well on her next endeavors. There will also be another gathering to celebrate her retirement on Saturday, April 29 starting at 6 p.m. at Gabe’s Bar and Kitchen in St. Paul (991 Lexington Pkwy North). Juline’s last day in the office is May 9 but will be taking vacation prior. Read more about Juline’s career on the Lorax.
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After 35 years of state service, John Thomas is retiring April 3
On parting the agency, John writes, "Like most old dogs, new tricks do not come as easily anymore, so after 35 years of state service it is time to take off the tie, headset and reading glasses, close the standard methods manual and head into retirement. During those 35 years, I worked for a couple of years at MDH but was lured to MPCA to be part of a solid waste garbage sort (really!), conduct stormwater monitoring with Wisconsin DNR and USGS in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and be an inspector for construction stormwater and wastewater programs. What I will miss most is the people I worked with, inside and outside the agency. Wishing you all the best as you take on ever more complex issues." Photo credit goes to Patty Parker (MPCA Duluth).
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Questions about retirement benefits?
Representatives from the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) will be available Tuesday, April 4, 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. Sign up to meet in person or sign up to meet via phone/Zoom.
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Join IDEA book club
Please join the IDEA Book Club for additional credits this year! If you are unable to read the book or don’t quite finish, no worries. Please attend if you are interested in learning more about the subject/book/author.
Tuesday, April 25, 2-3 p.m., Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. New York Times Fiction bestseller “Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s about the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and the power of art to create change.” Teams meeting.
Wednesday, May 31, 11 a.m.-noon, Whiteness in Plain View by Chad Montrie. “An examination of White Minnesotans’ efforts to exclude African Americans from local communities, jobs, and housing across the state and through the decades. Minnesota is a paradox. Widely seen as a progressive stronghold of the Midwest, the state also has some of the greatest racial disparities in the nation. Those disparities have their roots in Minnesota’s earliest days as a territory and in the decades that followed. From enslaved people brought to the territory by military officers to migrants traveling to the North Star State after the Civil War, African Americans have long been present in Minnesota’s history. Yet while many came here looking to establish new lives, they were often met with White resistance and attempts to exclude them.” Teams meeting.
Reach out to the PCA Library or consider supporting the author of color and/or your local bookstore by purchasing and sharing your book so others may enjoy!
Final two books will be: My Grandmother’s Hands and Saving Aziz (in honor of Veterans Day, this November). Have an IDEA book club suggestion? Email carolyn.kammeyer@state.mn.us
Celebrate Earth Day with music and song: April 25
The Lafayette Park Orchestra and Chorus are preparing for an Earth Day celebration. Come join your colleagues in making a big noise. Any instrument or voice is welcome to join. We have fun while working hard to create something glorious when we're ready to perform!
The performance is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, April 25.
Contact Anne Jackson for calendar invites to band practice, or Janeen Dednam-Wright for calendar invites to chorus rehearsals.
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Welcome, Christine Bianchi
Christine Bianchi recently joined the MPCA as a permit writer in the St. Paul office. She will be working within the Water Quality Permits Unit, preparing and issuing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and State Disposal System (SDS) wastewater permits for industrial sites.
Her education is in environmental science and policy. Prior to this position, she worked for over a decade in environmental consulting, specializing in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and associated due diligence services.
Christine adds, "In my free time, I enjoy reading, gardening, live music events, and exploring Minnesota state parks with my husband, son, and our 2-year-old Beagle-mix, Dottie."
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Grant funding for facilities to cut emissions & improve air quality deadline: April 10
 The deadline for proposals for projects that aim to reduce air emissions by upgrading equipment and processes in facilities is right around the corner! Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. CT on April 10.
The request for proposals (RFP) and information to help applicants submit proposals are on the grant webpage.
March’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.
Well-being webinar: Overcoming procrastination
Wednesday, April 5, noon-1 p.m.
Take an hour to focus on your health by attending one of MMB's Well-being webinars. All sessions are held from noon to 1 p.m. Check out the next webinar: Overcoming procrastination, Wednesday, April 5. Don’t put off adding this to your calendar. Check out other upcoming Wednesday WorkLife Webinars on the webinar webpage.
Courageous Conversation: The Myth of meritocracy
Wednesday, April 5, 2-3 p.m.
Meritocracy is one of the foundational pillars of modern capitalism and is defined as the holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability. Meritocracy asserts that race, gender or discriminatory factors do not play a role in determining success. Unfortunately, meritocracy is only true to its definition in an ideal world. Rather than democratizing American society, meritocracy has contributed to increasing inequality and the decline of the middle class. This interactive training will explore how meritocracy and equity are not interchangeable and illuminate why meritocracy is a dangerous myth that acts as a barrier to and equitable society.
Join Teams meeting.
Statewide PFAS treatment and destruction costs
Wednesday, April 19, 10-11 a.m.
Please join us to learn about PFAS water treatment and destruction technologies, their costs, and affordability. Barr Engineering and Hazen will present on currently available technologies that are capable of treating and destroying PFAS in wastewater, biosolids, landfill leachate, and compost contact water. You’ll better understand these technologies and the costs of building them at a statewide scale.
This event is open to all state employees and will be hosted both on Teams and in-person at the MPCA St. Paul office, Room LL South. Join the meeting.
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Metro Skywarn Storm Spotter training
Metro Skywarn Storm Spotter training is for all staff, but especially those who work outdoors. and covers the basics of spotting storms and safety considerations for all outdoor weather hazards. This training is coordinated with the National Weather Service. Staff who attend this training will be certified storm spotters who can report severe weather to the National Weather Service. Those staff who are in the regional offices will be certified with the NWS forecast offices that serves their home location. Staff who are highly encouraged to take this training are supervisors, managers and staff who work in outdoor environments. (Note: This training is the same training the staff in the Watershed Division are getting, thus staff in the Watershed Division do not need to duplicate this training.)
There will be two sessions offered to accommodate staff schedules (staff only need to attend one, both are the same):
April 19, noon-1:30 p.m. Join the meeting.
May 9, noon-1:30 p.m. Join the meeting.
Weather Radar and Satellite training
This session is a follow-up to the storm spotter training for those staff who are interested in learning more about radar and satellite technology. There is only one session offered this year: May 11, noon-1:30 p.m. Join the meeting.
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8 Hour HAZWOPER Refresher classes
This course is required for staff who respond to hazardous substances released in the environment. The course satisfies the OSHA requirements for uncontrolled hazardous waste operations, response, and management. The course will cover the levels of PPE, toxicology, chemical safety, and managing an incident. Sign up through ELM. A minimum of eight attendees is required to hold each class. Below are upcoming classes.
R32PCASAF002-092V Virtual April 6
R32PCASAF002-090V Virtual May 31
In the news
'Forever chemicals' pose serious health risks. Here's what Minnesota can do to address them
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Lawmakers and activists gathered Monday morning in support of tougher restrictions on a suite of chemicals known as PFAS, or forever chemicals. This comes days after state agencies asked lawmakers for more than $45 million dollars for cleanup and management of PFAS. — MPR
Nuclear power plant has another leak after initially spilling 400K gallons of radioactive water
One week after officials revealed that a Minnesota nuclear power plant had leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water in November, officials said a second, smaller leak had been discovered. As a result, Xcel Energy is taking the Monticello plant temporarily offline, NBC News reported. — Western Journal
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Recently in social media at the MPCA!
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