ST. PAUL – Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, has introduced a bill to resolve a major local issue which has left some District 31 residents unable to safely consume tap water in their own homes.
Niska’s bill (H.F. 363) provides $9 million in state capital investment funds, allowing the city of Andover to design and construct new municipal water mains in the city’s Red Oaks neighborhood, where the cancer-causing chemical dioxane was detected in private drinking water wells. Red Oaks residents have been relying on bottled water to drink, cook food and brush their teeth for more than a year.
“These contaminated wells are a public safety hazard for people in our district, not to mention the significant inconveniences they are causing,” Niska said. “Safe drinking water is one of those things you take for granted – until you don’t have it. The bill to fix this problem is the first I have introduced as a legislator and for good reason. We need action as soon as possible and I have pegged this project at the top of my to-do list for District 31A.”
Niska said he has met with Red Oaks residents who have been impacted, discussed solutions with officials at the state and local levels, and even has spoken with the governor a couple of times seeking his support for corrective legislation. Questions remain regarding the source of the pollution, how far it reaches or even who may be responsible for cleanup, Niska said, adding area residents can’t afford to wait any longer for answers.
“Those investigations can continue, and should, but not to the detriment of people in our district continuing to suffer health risks,” Niska said. “Public safety is a chief responsibility of government and we owe it to the people we serve to abide by that principle. I’m focused on the thing that’s most important to me – taking care of my constituents – by carrying this bill.”
Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, previously authored legislation regarding this issue and she remains a co-author of Niska’s current bill. Sen. Cal Bahr, R-East Bethel, is carrying the companion proposal (S.F. 312).
Niska said he hopes to soon present his bill to the House Capital Investment Committee with the goal of having it included in a bonding package this session.
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