1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to environment; appropriating money to establish and implement 
1.3 	site-specific eutrophication standard for Minnesota River.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATIONS; MINNESOTA RIVER BASIN SITE-SPECIFIC 
1.6 	STANDARD.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Standard. (a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the 
1.8 	general fund to the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency to convene and fund a 
1.9 	technical group to develop a site-specific eutrophication standard for the main channel of 
1.10 	the Minnesota River.
1.11 	(b) Within 30 days of the effective date of this section, the commissioner of the Pollution 
1.12 	Control Agency must convene and contract with an outside group of technical experts in 
1.13 	water quality to develop a technical support document and to propose a site-specific 
1.14 	eutrophication standard for the main channel of the Minnesota River.
1.15 	(c) The technical group must consist of no less than three and no more than five water 
1.16 	quality experts from separate consulting firms. The technical group must maintain regular 
1.17 	contact with appropriate staff at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency while developing 
1.18 	the technical support document. The technical group must deliver the technical support 
1.19 	document and the proposed site-specific eutrophication standard to the commissioner within 
1.20 	nine months of convening.
2.1 	(d) The commissioner must expedite review of the proposed site-specific eutrophication 
2.2 	standard and recommend preliminary approval or denial within 60 days after the standard 
2.3 	is submitted.
2.4 		Subd. 2.Implementation strategy. (a) $500,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated 
2.5 	from the general fund to the Minnesota State University Water Resource Center to convene 
2.6 	and facilitate a technical stakeholder group to design a comprehensive implementation 
2.7 	strategy for the site-specific eutrophication standard for the main channel of the Minnesota 
2.8 	River. Within 45 days of the commissioner's order in subdivision 1, paragraph (d), the Water 
2.9 	Resource Center, in consultation with the stakeholder group, must submit a work plan and 
2.10 	budget for implementing this section to the Legislative Water Commission for review.
2.11 	(b) The stakeholder group must include a representative from each of the following:
2.12 	(1) Minnesota Pollution Control Agency;
2.13 	(2) Board of Water and Soil Resources;
2.14 	(3) Department of Natural Resources;
2.15 	(4) Department of Agriculture; and
2.16 	(5) city of Mankato.
2.17 	(c) The Water Resource Center must invite a representative from each of the following 
2.18 	organizations to participate in the stakeholder group:
2.19 	(1) Association of Minnesota Counties;
2.20 	(2) Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center;
2.21 	(3) League of Minnesota Cities;
2.22 	(4) Minnesota Environmental Science and Economic Review Board;
2.23 	(5) Minnesota Association of Townships;
2.24 	(6) Conservation Minnesota;
2.25 	(7) Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts;
2.26 	(8) Minnesota AgriGrowth Council;
2.27 	(9) Minnesota River Congress; and
2.28 	(10) Minnesota Rural Water Association.
2.29 	(d) The stakeholder group must perform the following tasks and may contract with 
2.30 	outside experts to assist in its efforts:
3.1 	(1) study the effectiveness of point-to-point and point-to-nonpoint trading to make 
3.2 	nutrient reductions necessary to achieve the site-specific eutrophication standard, including 
3.3 	identification of specific opportunities to facilitate development of a nutrient trading program. 
3.4 	The stakeholder group must review local water management plans, review current practice 
3.5 	and science related to point-to-point and point-to-nonpoint trading, identify any obstacles 
3.6 	to trading in the Minnesota River basin, and recommend appropriate actions to enhance 
3.7 	trading opportunities to improve water quality in the Minnesota River basin, including but 
3.8 	not limited to developing appropriate trading ratios and creating a trading exchange;
3.9 	(2) study the effectiveness of optimizing impacted wastewater treatment plants and 
3.10 	identify specific opportunities to optimize wastewater treatment plants to achieve the 
3.11 	site-specific eutrophication standard; and
3.12 	(3) study the effectiveness of best management practices for nonpoint sources in reducing 
3.13 	phosphorus, nitrates, and turbidity and identify incentives to promote the use of best 
3.14 	management and sustainable farming practices that reduce discharge of phosphorus, nitrates, 
3.15 	and turbidity in the Minnesota River basin.
3.16 	(e) Within 12 months of submitting the work plan, the stakeholder group must submit 
3.17 	details of the strategy and recommendations to the commissioner of the Pollution Control 
3.18 	Agency and chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions 
3.19 	with jurisdiction over environment and natural resources.