Saint Paul, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House passed a Republican-authored bill to prohibit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) from implementing their proposed rules for nitrogen fertilizer use. These rules, authorized under 1989’s Groundwater Protection Act, would protect Minnesota’s water resources by minimizing nitrate pollution.
Gov. Mark Dayton delivered a letter to the chairs of the House Agriculture committees indicating he’d veto the bill, HF 2887. Commissioner of Agriculture David Frederickson also sent one to the authors of the legislation sharing his opposition.
Representative Rick Hansen (DFL – South Saint Paul) issued the following statement:
“Minnesotans expect clean drinking water. This Republican Legislature continues its pattern to deny problems, delay implementation and deflect responsibility. This was yet another bill requiring legislative approval for common-sense efforts to protect the environment. Contamination of drinking water is a public health issue, not a partisan political problem to be denied, delayed or deflected. The narrow approval shows more legislators are listening, even though the Republican leadership is not. We can do better.”
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