APG Specialty Publications 00_IRON_MINING_ASSN_20_BOOK | Page 18

IMA COMMITTEES' YEAR-IN-REVIEW
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
The IMA Environmental Committee, along
with facility operators, unions, and community
members, spent a significant amount of 2019
pushing for a legislative fix to the wild rice
sulfate water quality standard. The industry
joined with the many impacted partners as
part of the Wild Rice Task Force created by
former Governor Dayton. The Task Force
recommended the creation of a working
group to evaluate the wild rice waters and
the best management practices to be utilized
by state agencies to affect wild rice growth
and sustainability. This legislation was heard
in multiple committees. Governor Walz (the
new governor of Minnesota) decided that
he'd like more time to discuss the best path
forward with tribal leaders. Governor Walz
and his administration are anticipated to offer
up legislation in 2020 to address the wild rice
water quality standard.
Another significant rulemaking milestone
was concluded in 2019. The federal
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
108b regulations for hard rock mining
financial assurance was removed as a result
of the EPA investigations for the need for
financial assurance concluded. The EPA
agreed that there was no need for addition
financial assurance for hard rock mining at
18 | Iron Mining Association of Minnesota
the federal level. After the EPA's judgment,
the court further acknowledged the lack of
need for this duplicative standard. Efforts
were expended to inform the regulators as to
the lack of risk posed by iron mining and the
state regulations already in place, by both the
IMA and our national partners.
The remainder of 2019 and beginning of
2020 will be spent further negotiating with
regulators on the necessity for state specific
standards, commenting on water regulations
and air regulations, and supporting any need
identified by the IMA committee.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE
The IMA Government Affairs Committee was
hard at work during the fall of 2018 and 2019.
New legislators were elected from both
parties at both the state and federal level
and it was up to this committee to get these
elected officials up to speed on the concerns
of the IMA. Beginning in early 2019, the IMA
proposed legislation to solidify and create
a wild rice working group to evaluate and
ensure that best management practices are
used in wild rice waters.
Early in Governor Walz's administration
he sought a path to create and generate
more investment in renewable energy,