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GutRooster
distinguished member (193)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/08/2021 09:55AM  
We all know about the Sulfide-Ore Copper Mine and the BWCA. What threats to the environment and waterways are coming to a head in your area of the country?
 
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billconner
distinguished member(8607)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
02/08/2021 11:05AM  
Used (covid) masks seem to be piling up.
 
Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14416)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
02/08/2021 12:18PM  
billconner: "Used (covid) masks seem to be piling up."


Agree, Home Depot parking lots are full of used masks.
 
02/08/2021 12:40PM  
I walk in neighborhood with gloves on this time of year. I regularly pick up trash and recycling. Way too many masks.
 
JWilder
distinguished member (414)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/08/2021 01:24PM  
I work for a local City government. We are an MS4 community; which stands for a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). We are given this designation by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for two reasons: 1) our population is over 10,000 and 2) our storm water discharges into an impaired water, ie; the Minnesota River. The designation requires us to have a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit through the MPCA. This permit requires us to establish and implement Best Management Practices (BMP’s) within our city limits. BMP’s include public education, construction site inspection and enforcement, infrastructure improvements to reduce sediment and provide stormwater treatment.

Here in southern Minnesota (and greater Minnesota as well). The never ending fight is to protect our water bodies from human generated pollution. As someone who is on the “front lines” everyday on the enforcement side, here are the threats to our environment and waterways I see as ongoing issues:

1) Sediment from soil erosion and vehicle tracking from construction sites, which enters our system and ultimately into the river.
2) Hazardous materials, solid waste and concrete wash water not being stored or disposed of properly and leeching into groundwater.
3) Homeowners washing their vehicles in the driveway and let the wastewater run down the curb and gutter into the storm sewer.
4) Homeowners and companies applying lawn fertilizer in an uncontrolled fashion, leaving plenty on the sidewalks and streets for rain to carry away.
These are just a few…

Every few years the permit gets updated and renewed and more and more stringent regulations come into play. What’s new? The upcoming “focus items” will be:
1) a fight against chlorides in our water. This comes from salting our many miles of paved roads in the winter. Educating those who apply salt/sand mix and how to apply it more efficiently while maintaining effectiveness. And
2) Animal pet waste. Yes, dog poop. You’ve seen it. Dog walkers leaving their pooches poop in the boulevard, or wherever they must go. It has to go somewhere, and any rain event will carry it into the storm sewer and drop it off at the river’s edge.

To remain positive here, we have come a long way in water/wastewater treatment and storm water pollution prevention since the Clean Water Act (1972). And we will continue to make improvements on our everyday practices, as we continue to gain awareness and knowledge of things we are doing wrong.

I might have just said way more than I needed too.

JW
 
02/08/2021 04:14PM  
Well, north Georgia folks are fighting a waste water permit in the Broad River watershed for a biomass energy plant. Of course they are a wonderful "green" business making power from renewables. The waste however is significantly messy to deal with as they expand their facility. 250,000 gallons a day into stream that gets real bony in the summer and during droughts.

This is the same plant that was burning old creosote railroad ties that caused a significant interstate air quality issue.

The watershed downstream is amazingly clean for a Piedmont river due to no municipalities up stream. Agricultural pollution, mainly from cattle, is it. The whole watershed from headwaters to the Savannah River is about 70% forest cover, so even agriculture is small.
 
bottomtothetap
distinguished member(1022)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/08/2021 05:08PM  
JWilder, you are certainly correct about the chloride issue. This has been coming for years and is now coming to a head. I am currently serving as a volunteer technical advisor to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as they further develop and refine their Smart Salting Assessment Tool in an effort to control chloride levels in MN waters.

It has been determined that sources of elevated chloride in MN lakes and streams are ranked thusly:
Road/sidewalk Salt Runoff--42%
Fertilizers--23%
Poorly operating water softeners--14%
 
02/08/2021 05:29PM  
The clearcutting of forest lands and converting them into potato fields around Park Rapids has gathered a lot of attention lately.

This might be behind a paywall, here it is from the Bemidji Pioneer.

BEMIDJI -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Thursday announced it had temporarily ordered a halt to a massive conversion of thousands of acres of Minnesota pine forest into farmland out of concern for the state's water supply and forest ecosystem.

North Dakota-based potato grower R.D. Offutt Co. already has bought or could buy some 27,000 acres of Potlach Corp. forest land in Becker, Cass, Hubbard and Wadena counties in north-central Minnesota with the intention of clear-cutting it for farming potatoes and other crops, the DNR said.

"Altogether, the forest lands that have been cleared, or are at risk of being cleared, cover a total area of about 42 square miles," which is equivalent to the cities of Bemidji, Brainerd and Detroit Lakes combined, the DNR release said. "Experts say the current rate of forest loss in this region has not been seen in recent memory."

However, the DNR's jurisdiction is mainly limited to permitting for the wells RDO wants to dig to irrigate the thousands of acres of soil for the farmland. This, too, represents a potential environmental hazard in the DNR's opinion, since the wells could unreasonably drain Minnesota's water supply.

Delay could last year

Because of the potential risk, DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr notified RDO on Thursday he was ordering a halt to further development on the project pending the DNR's completion of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, or EAW. The assessment, which the DNR said could take up to a year, aims to help determine what impact the project will have on Minnesota's environment.

"It's important that the DNR carefully consider the implications that this rapid forest land clearing and conversion will have on water quality, water supply, and related resources in this region and beyond," Landwehr said in the release. "People rely on these water sources, and we want to take a hard look at any potential impacts."

In an emailed statement to the Pioneer, RDO said it is "committed to preserving ground and surface water quality in the communities where we farm." The release added the the company is actively participating in a water quality study in Byron Township in Cass County in partnership with the DNR, the University of Minnesota and other agencies.

On a conference call with reporters Thursday, Landwehr said an usually high amount of RDO well applications prompted the DNR assessment process.

"We felt it that it was time that we got a handle on the cumulative impact of this water withdrawal," he said. "Surely the first permits were granted because we didn't see a lot of potential adverse impacts, but as the scale of this and scope of this grows in size, we just became concerned."

Landwehr said it was possible for the DNR to impose a moratorium on further well permitting for RDO's project following the assessment's completion.

However, Landwehr also acknowledged RDO's efforts toward environmental sustainability by reducing their fertilizer and pesticide use, and cautioned that the DNR environmental assessment "should not be viewed as a negative reflection on the company."

"They have done some really amazing reductions in applications, so I applaud the company for that," Landwehr said. "I commend them for doing the right thing with respect to sustainability."

Several rare species reside in jack pine forests similar to the type being cut, Landwehr said -- including the northern goshawk, Blanding's turtle and certain species of wild strawberry.

"Obviously, whenever you lose any of that habitat, you lose places for those species to thrive," he said.

The clear-cutting also could threaten the local deer population, one of the highest in the state, the DNR said.

DNR halts permit for RDO to clear 27,000 acres of forest.
 
cyclones30
distinguished member(4163)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
02/08/2021 08:01PM  
I assume that's the same RDO that owns all the John Deere dealers?

Around here the environmental stuff is mostly water quality. City/municipal runoff, ag fertilizer stuff, sewage releases due to flooding, etc. We're downstream quite a ways from most headwaters so we're mid- to lower watershed folks that are trying to deal with what's already in the water. (while trying to take care not to make our local situation make it worse)

I'm also 3 miles from the Mississippi at UMR 450 or so....which is a whole different story
 
Pilgrimpaddler
distinguished member (263)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/09/2021 08:41AM  
bottomtothetap: "JWilder, you are certainly correct about the chloride issue. This has been coming for years and is now coming to a head. I am currently serving as a volunteer technical advisor to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as they further develop and refine their Smart Salting Assessment Tool in an effort to control chloride levels in MN waters.


It has been determined that sources of elevated chloride in MN lakes and streams are ranked thusly:
Road/sidewalk Salt Runoff--42%
Fertilizers--23%
Poorly operating water softeners--14% "

I've been doing twice-monthly chloride analysis for my NPDES permit (private company in the Twin Cities metro area) for over 5 years now, so it's nothing new.
 
1JimD
distinguished member(587)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/09/2021 10:17AM  
I wish here in Iowa, the DNR had such authority! Our Governor, Kim Reynolds (R) as did Gov. Terry Branstad, also a Republican, controls the DNR. That is why nearly every stream, or body of water in this state is impaired !

Ag and CAFOs, are the major causes.
 
mjmkjun
distinguished member(2885)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/09/2021 11:07AM  
billconner: "Used (covid) masks seem to be piling up."

Yes, they are.

 
thistlekicker
distinguished member (471)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/09/2021 02:10PM  
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned water supply/allocation issues. Maybe nobody from the Intermountain West, Southwest, or CA has seen this thread yet.

I worked Out West for a few years but the water policy situation was a big factor bringing me back home to MN. I realized how good we have it here with abundant and relatively clean fresh water that hasn't been 150% end user allocated.
 
02/09/2021 05:01PM  
Hmmm, I think Sarah Strommen is the current DNR Commish in MN and Tom now doing a great job fighting Twin Metals with Northern Minnesota for Wilderness. The point is very valid, the conversion of sandy non-irrigated forested land to crops is a huge risk to the greatest natural resource Minnesota has, fresh water. The new tiling systems and aggressive irrigation practices on our farmland is having a negative impact upon our aquifers. The vicious cycle of sandy soil is that crops grow on sand require more water to grow. Water from the aquifer. Over irrigation due to water thirsty crops causes leaching of nutrients, in particular nitrogen, into the groundwater. Most of the water we pump out of the ground runs north to Hudson Bay, east out the Great Lakes or down the Mississippi. We need to stop the water "bleed".

Chloride is a huge issue in Minnesota as Na is an element, one teaspoon will ruin a five gallon bucket of water, it settles to the bottom of lakes and builds upward. There is currently (historically too) a Bill being promoted to reduce salt use for snow/ice control in the winter in exchange for education/certification through the MPCA. The litigation over unsafe conditions is a huge risk to property managers who wish to cover their safety bases and thus they over salt. I really can't blame them or the property owner. Who will be liable in the lawsuit if not enough safety measures are taken to limit ice/snow falling injury.

There is no poop fairy

Improperly fertilized turf is an issue. Or more specifically, fertilizer correctly applied onto healthy turf isn't the issue, it is the serious misapplication of fertilizer applied to hard surfaces which eventually ends up in the storm drain and then the lake, stream or watershed. Truth be shared, according to UMN studies, a modestly fertilized lawn is much better for the environment then an unfertilized lawn as turfgrass is an amazing perennial groundcover the limits or even eliminate soil erosion. Erosion that contain organic matter (full of nutrients) and the element phosphorous.

I have a bit of experience in the turf industry, roughly 45 years, sit upon a watershed district Citizen Action Committee, have instructed BMP property management courses for the MPCA over the last decade and follow water policy legislative action at the Capitol by sitting in on the Subcommittee on MN Water Policy meetings.

For me personally and professionally it is all about keeping our water clean and in Minnesota.
 
CityFisher74
distinguished member(534)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/10/2021 08:11AM  
1JimD: " I wish here in Iowa, the DNR had such authority !
Our Governor, Kim Reynolds (R) as did Gov. Terry Branstad, also a Republican.
Controls the DNR. That is why nearly every stream, or body of water in this state is impaired !


Ag and CAFOs, are the major causes.
"


And you have to deal with sub-human Joni Ernst. God bless you.
 
Northland
distinguished member (219)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/10/2021 10:02AM  
JWilder and Linden - I had no idea of the scale of those two issues here in MN. Thanks for the updates.

The issues I see are far less complex and probably not to the point where they're as damaging as the ones already mentioned.

Off the top of my head, I'd say the issue of photo-baiting wildlife is becoming a concern.

If you're unfamiliar with this, it started with bird watchers. They would buy live mice from local pet stores, then use the mice as bait to lure hawks, owls and other raptors up close for "action shots." This was done either by tying a line to the live mouse, itself, or by putting the mouse under a clear plastic bowl so the bird could see it, but not get to it. Some people use the same mouse repeatedly (that has to be fun for the mouse: 8 engineered near-death experiences capped off with finally being eaten alive). Others feed a mouse to the bird each time.

In one case, you have a frustrated wild animal that's essentially being teased by humans for entertainment purposes (or sometimes commercial, since many folks come as part of guided tours from the Twin Cities). In another you have a bloated owl in a tree that's just ingested 20 mice and can barely move. In both cases, you have wild animals starting to associate humans with a free meal. And since this happens frequently along busy roadways, you have raptors zipping across roads trying to get to the people with the food.

I have now had reports of owls flying towards people and plopping down in front of them, waiting for a meal. Other new reports indicate that this practice may be moving on to species other than birds. which is disturbing.

 
MichiganMan
distinguished member (229)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/10/2021 07:53PM  
Seawalls on northern Michigan (and probably Wisconsin and Minnesota too) lakes are a big issue. We're constantly losing natural shoreline habitat, to the point where the shorelines of some lakes are simply one big seawall with no natural shoreline whatsoever.
 
Basspro69
distinguished member(14142)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
02/11/2021 12:25AM  
JWilder: "I work for a local City government. We are an MS4 community; which stands for a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). We are given this designation by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for two reasons: 1) our population is over 10,000 and 2) our storm water discharges into an impaired water, ie; the Minnesota River. The designation requires us to have a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit through the MPCA. This permit requires us to establish and implement Best Management Practices (BMP’s) within our city limits. BMP’s include public education, construction site inspection and enforcement, infrastructure improvements to reduce sediment and provide stormwater treatment.


Here in southern Minnesota (and greater Minnesota as well). The never ending fight is to protect our water bodies from human generated pollution. As someone who is on the “front lines” everyday on the enforcement side, here are the threats to our environment and waterways I see as ongoing issues:


1) Sediment from soil erosion and vehicle tracking from construction sites, which enters our system and ultimately into the river.
2) Hazardous materials, solid waste and concrete wash water not being stored or disposed of properly and leeching into groundwater.
3) Homeowners washing their vehicles in the driveway and let the wastewater run down the curb and gutter into the storm sewer.
4) Homeowners and companies applying lawn fertilizer in an uncontrolled fashion, leaving plenty on the sidewalks and streets for rain to carry away.
These are just a few…


Every few years the permit gets updated and renewed and more and more stringent regulations come into play. What’s new? The upcoming “focus items” will be:
1) a fight against chlorides in our water. This comes from salting our many miles of paved roads in the winter. Educating those who apply salt/sand mix and how to apply it more efficiently while maintaining effectiveness. And
2) Animal pet waste. Yes, dog poop. You’ve seen it. Dog walkers leaving their pooches poop in the boulevard, or wherever they must go. It has to go somewhere, and any rain event will carry it into the storm sewer and drop it off at the river’s edge.


To remain positive here, we have come a long way in water/wastewater treatment and storm water pollution prevention since the Clean Water Act (1972). And we will continue to make improvements on our everyday practices, as we continue to gain awareness and knowledge of things we are doing wrong.


I might have just said way more than I needed too.


JW
"
Your efforts are greatly appreciated !!!’
 
02/11/2021 08:58AM  

No lack of environmental concerns in our area but the current hot issue is high Nitrate levels in our ground water. A massive manure spill from a dairy CAFO that was not reported as required by state law lead to the contamination of a number of wells near that site. We tend to take something so essential as clean water for granted when we are blessed with an abundance.
 
JWilder
distinguished member (414)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/11/2021 09:46AM  
Freddy: "
No lack of environmental concerns in our area but the current hot issue is high Nitrate levels in our ground water. A massive manure spill from a dairy CAFO that was not reported as required by state law lead to the contamination of a number of wells near that site. We tend to take something so essential as clean water for granted when we are blessed with an abundance. "


Yes, Nitrates in groundwater is a huge Environmental/water quality issue. For those who are not familiar; nitrates originate from agricultural fertilizers, animal manure and septic systems. A decade ago, out of necessity, we converted our water treatment process from gravity filters (Iron and Manganese removal) to Reverse Osmosis, one of the only ways to remove Nitrates. The downside to RO treatment is the wastewater generated from this. Around 19% of the water we treat, goes straight to the wastewater plant. So if we treat 1,000,000 gallons a day; 190,000 of those gallons are wasted. We recover and re-treat what we can, but it is just a fact a percentage will be wasted.
 
brp
distinguished member (164)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/11/2021 09:51AM  
As an avid runner and breather, I would say car exhaust here in Minneapolis. The cold snap has also led to my neighbors idling their cars for hours.

Please consider the least-polluting vehicle that meets your needs when purchasing/leasing/using.
 
HistoryDoc
senior member (66)senior membersenior member
  
02/12/2021 05:50AM  
I just received an update from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources concerning the spread of Alabama bass into Virginia waters. Alabama bass are a subspecies of spotted bass that out-compete largemouth and smallmouth bass. The primary cause of spreading is humans, ironically mostly fisherman. The article notes that discharging water from the live wells on boats can introduce eggs between bodies of water.
Invasive species, whether, plant, insect, or animal are an enormous problem nationwide. It is an issue that every individual, particularly those of us that are active in the outdoors, can help with. Extending the LNT mindset by working to curtail the spread of invasive species is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. Our support of our state wildlife management agencies is not misplaced.
 
Wendigo41
member (37)member
  
02/12/2021 09:45AM  
CityFisher74: "
1JimD: " I wish here in Iowa, the DNR had such authority !
Our Governor, Kim Reynolds (R) as did Gov. Terry Branstad, also a Republican.
Controls the DNR. That is why nearly every stream, or body of water in this state is impaired !



Ag and CAFOs, are the major causes.
"



And you have to deal with sub-human Joni Ernst. God bless you."


I am sure hate for our neighbors will kill us before pollution will.

The water problems in these farming communities comes from growing and raising food. So every time we put food in ours mouths "WE" are contributing to the problem. Right now we have 9 million people starve to death every year. Without fertilizer that number would be 500 million.

We as Americans are a big part of the problem traveling for fun and second homes. Most people on this planet never travel more than several miles from the place they were born. Now we are burning corn in our cars to travel to the bwca.
 
siusaluki23
distinguished member (134)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/12/2021 10:23AM  
HistoryDoc: " I just received an update from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources concerning the spread of Alabama bass into Virginia waters. Alabama bass are a subspecies of spotted bass that out-compete largemouth and smallmouth bass. The primary cause of spreading is humans, ironically mostly fisherman. The article notes that discharging water from the live wells on boats can introduce eggs between bodies of water.
Invasive species, whether, plant, insect, or animal are an enormous problem nationwide. It is an issue that every individual, particularly those of us that are active in the outdoors, can help with. Extending the LNT mindset by working to curtail the spread of invasive species is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. Our support of our state wildlife management agencies is not misplaced. "



This is going to be a huge issue. Alabama bass are now in the Ohio river watershed and dispersing downstream. We have no idea how far they will go, but they now have access to the ENTIRE Mississippi river watershed. I expect some severe consequences.
 
MichiganMan
distinguished member (229)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/12/2021 07:42PM  
Invasive species are a major issue here in Michigan as well. Zebra mussels, quagga mussels, round goby, New Zealand mud snail, etc. And of course we're always fearing that the Silver and/or Bighead carp will find their way into Lake Michigan and beyond.
 
RunningFox
distinguished member (230)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/14/2021 05:20AM  
Too many people on the planet. Too many in the USA. That’s the root cause of all of the foregoing posts.
 
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