www.pca.state.mn.us

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 651-296-6300 | 800-657-3864 | TTY 651-282-5332 or 800-657-3864

February 2013 | leg-13sy1-05 Available in alternative formats

Environmental Assistance and Cross Media budget Performance through FY 2013 and proposal for FY 2014 and FY 2015 The MPCA’s Environmental Assistance and Cross-media (EACM) Budget Program provides support for regulatory and assistance programs that cross multiple media with a given activity, such as feedlots, environmental review, Environmental Quality Board, and assistance efforts like solid waste and wastewater training, and community and business assistance. Additionally, this budget program accepts the multi-media based grant received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which supports monitoring, regulatory and assistance efforts.

This budget program provides technical assistance and financial resources aimed at helping local governments, businesses, and individuals comply with the regulatory system and implement pollution prevention activities. The primary customers of the EACM program are citizens interested in specific projects or the general condition of Minnesota’s environment, businesses, and local governments. The EACM budget program supports work that benefits multiple media and, through a partnership with EPA, implements federal programs in Minnesota. Thus, this program provides financial partnership dollars to counties for waste management efforts, supports grants and loans to reduce diesel emissions, and funds multi-media programs, like environmental review.

Budget Trends

Strategic and financial overview The MPCA’s strategic vision is that Minnesotans and MPCA take actions to protect our land, water and air. The agency strategic plan provides goals and objectives that help meet that vision. The EACM program goals include:

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EACM program: activities and operational metrics

Regulatory The MPCA has delegation to issue nearly all federal permits in Minnesota. Understanding local conditions and including state and federal requirements in the same permit improves overall permit quality, creates efficiency in the permitting process and ensures certain federal standards are applied consistently across the country. The $56 million attributed to the regulatory functions in this area reflect the permitting and compliance efforts discussed in air, water, and land. The feedlot program is one example of multiple media impacts enveloped in a single regulatory program. The ultimate environmental goals and results of the feedlot program are reflected in the specific media (air, water and land) areas. However, the unique partnership between the MPCA and the counties delegated to administer this program is supported under the EACM budget.

The Environmental Quality Board (EQB) is composed of state agency representatives and citizens. This Board helps local government units complete their environmental review functions. The Board also holds broad policy discussions regarding emerging issues that have potential statewide impacts. In addition, the EQB provides a forum for citizen participation in setting the state’s environmental priorities and addressing emerging issues at a local level. Specifically, the MPCA’s own environmental review program collects information to assist decision-makers regarding potential environmental impacts of projects.

Operational results There are approximately 27,000 feedlots in Minnesota. With the assistance of 55 delegated counties, the feedlot program provides technical assistance, drafts permits, completes inspections for compliance, and reviews plans and specifications for feedlot construction projects. There are 1,260 General NPDES permits and 50 individual NPDES permits. Feedlots not large enough to require NPDES permits receive direct assistance or compliance inspections. The MPCA does a variety of inspections as reflected in the table.

Delegated counties support the MPCA’s program efforts by reviewing and issuing non-federal permits and completing assistance inspections to ensure compliance with state laws. County staff members also provide the first level of response to complaints and identify corrective actions for specific sites. This program is unique in the country and provides a level of oversight and assistance not realized elsewhere.

MPCA is the responsible government unit for review of a number of environmental-related projects. This review may include the development of an environmental assessment worksheet or a more in-depth environmental impact statement. In FY 2012, the MPCA completed 12 environmental review projects, and in FY 2013, eight have been completed with another two underway. From the final data submittal to decision date, the FY 2012 projects took an average of 90 days and the FY 2013 completed projects took an average of 112 days. Additionally, two separate environmental impact statement efforts are underway; the Perham waste-to-energy facility, and the Advanced Disposal Mixed Municipal Solid Waste Landfill in Wright County.

MPCA Feedlot Inspections

Inspection Types FY2011 FY2012

Compliance Inspections 241 178

Construction Inspections 28 72

Complaint Inspections 32 17

Land Application Inspections 60 222

Other (Assistance Inspections) 50 24

TOTAL 411 513

Delegated County Inspections

Inspection Type CY2010 CY2011

Compliance/Construction 2959 2031

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EQB support was transferred to the MPCA in FY 2012. The broad measure of EQB’s success, other than site-specific projects, is the engagement of Minnesota’s citizens in setting environmental policy for the state. At a narrower level, the EQB and its staff are measured on responding to local governments (approximately 1500 calls per year), publishing the EQB Monitor related to ongoing projects, and implementing policy required by the Board or legislation. EQB staff lead an average of seven projects per year and participate in another 15 per year.

The EQB has prepared, after nearly two decades, an Environmental and Energy Report Card that measures the overall state of conditions related to energy, climate change, water, air, and land activities. The report card reflects a few key measures and asks questions about the challenges and choices to consider relative to energy and the environment. The report card is found on the EQB website at this link: http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/documents/EQB%20Report%20Card%20Final.pdf.

Further measures will be established following completion of the Environmental Congress to be held March 15, 2013, and additional action items as determined by the EQB.

Assistance Assistance under this program is provided through many avenues. Assistance is tailored to the individual entity, outreach effort, or participating partner. The MPCA provides direct assistance to businesses and citizens, while partnering with local government units, colleges and universities and other entities to reduce the generation and release of pollutants into the environment.

Operational results Under M.S. 115D, the MPCA is required to establish a pollution prevention program with a focus on toxic pollutants. A toxic pollutant is defined as a chemical identified in the federal law as a toxic chemical. A toxic pollutant becomes a hazardous waste when it is disposed of. The prevention effort is not only aimed at reducing the waste form of these chemicals. Efforts are also geared toward reducing the use of these chemicals in industrial and manufacturing processes to prevent releases from spills and emissions.

The MPCA finds that shared goals have resulted in the most effective and efficient way to provide assistance. These types of shared efforts are represented in the household hazardous waste program with counties, the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) with the University of Minnesota, the Retired Environmentalists Technical Assistance Program (ReTAP), and the EcoExperience at Minnesota State Fair.

In 2011, MnTAP used site visits, teams, interns, phone calls and email to reach out to businesses. MnTAP assisted nearly 230 companies and engaged 40 in making changes that reduced their environmental footprint and saved money. In 2011, companies, which have worked with MnTAP, are saving approximately $3.1 million annually. Over the past two years, MnTAP saved 31.3 million gallons of water by working with Minnesota companies to

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The success of these efforts is measured across the agency:

· Environmental Information Report is an assessment of a wide variety of environmental stressors facing Minnesota, provided in a matrix format. Six environmental matrices are included. Three focus on human health, two on the ecosystem health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms and one on overall quality-of-life concerns. This report reflects the general condition of Minnesota’s environment and points to areas of concern. The 2009 Environmental Information Report may be found at: www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=5633

· The collected data is shared with Minnesota citizens and federal organizations. More than 75 percent of this data is available through the MPCA’s What’s in My Neighborhood? website and the Environmental Data Access system. More than 50 percent of the data is available in raw form and is part of the EPA’s federal data information system.

Restoration EACM restoration activities are funded through federal cross-media funds and mainly support staffing for watershed work. Specific results of funding through this source are evidenced in Water program outcomes.

Management Management activities include business support functions directly related to the feedlot program, environmental review program, household hazardous waste program, and the assistance efforts provided. Management also includes support for the Environmental Quality Board. Many operational measures reflect the activities associated with management including documentation related to public notices for meetings, permits, assistance, and enforcement actions.