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| Date: | May 19, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Chris Van Guilder | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-1388 | | Contact Email: | christopher.vanguilder@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| MINNESOTA SENATE APPROVES ENVIRONMENT, COMMERCE AND ENERGY CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT |
(St. Paul) The Senate passed a final Environment, Commerce and Energy omnibus finance budget bill for Fiscal Years 2012-13. The bill appropriates a total of $201.463 million for the Environment and Natural Resources; Commerce and Consumer Protection; and Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications for the next biennium.
Environment and Natural Resources
The legislation appropriates $1.029 billion dollars to the Environment and Natural Resources budget for FY2012-13, of which $186,569,000 are General Fund expenditures. The conference committee agreed upon a bill that funds Department of Natural Resources enforcement, firefighting, efforts to investigate and combat aquatic invasive species and Chronic Wasting Disease. Red River flood damage grants are flood mitigation efforts are also funded. The final budget bill seeks to avoid disproportionate cuts by implementing spending reductions in each of the main budget areas. The legislation includes $51.16 million of funding to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, which the Legislative Citizen-Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) appropriates to approved projects.
Senate Environment and Natural Resources Chair Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) stated after the bills passage, This legislation represents an agreement by the conference committee to streamline government operations, reform services and improve the way government does business. No single group or entity received everything they wanted, but it does reflect the input and efforts of constituents, advocacy groups and department officials. We funded existing priorities and emerging issues without raising fees or taxes. This is a sound budget, and I ask the governor to sign it.
Significant provisions in the bill include:
$8.14 million of increased funding to fight terrestrial and aquatic invasive species, for a total of $16.472 million.
$133,944,000 appropriation to the Parks and Trails Division; resulting in a $100,000 decrease from the FY2010-11 levels.
Limited reductions to the Department of Natural Resources and Pollution Control Agency of 2.3 and .5 percent, respectively.
Increased funding for the Minnesota Zoo and the Minnesota Conservation Corps from the original Senate position.
Halts funding of a single, new Lake Vermillion park and instead allocated the savings to the parks and trails division, preventing park closures.
Repeal of mandatory Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) requirement for the construction or expansion of an ethanol plant, with exception if based on a general industrial, commercial, or institutional mandatory category.
Increased threshold of petitioners to necessitate an EAW to be prepared.
o The new requirement is 100 individuals who reside or own property in the county or an adjoining county of the affected area.
o The current threshold is 25 individuals from anywhere in the world.
Mississippi River Corridor legislation eliminates the Pollution Control Agency (PCA) rulemaking authority passed in 2009 for the 72-mile stretch of the Mississippi from Ramsey in northern Anoka County to Hastings in southern Dakota County.
LCCMR funding to focus on emerging issues such as:
o The Minnesota Conservation Apprentice Academy ($200,000)
o Wild rice and sulfide impacts and standards ($1 million)
o Chronic wasting disease and animal health ($1.2 million)
o Aquatic invasive species ($5.640 million)
o $442,000 to the DNR for a grant to the Three Rivers Park District for pre-design and design of the Coon Rapids Dam for improvements and to function as a barrier to invasive fish.
o Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Conservation Easements ($1.645 million)
The measure also contains the Commerce & Consumer Protection and Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications omnibus budgets for the next biennium.
After passing in both the Senate and House, the Conference Report will be sent to Governor Dayton for final approval.
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