Everyone at the hearing agreed on one thing -- protecting wild rice. It's part of the state's heritage, tribal spiritual beliefs, and everyone loves to give it as a gift you can only get from Minnesota. But how to protect it? Well, that's where opinion fragmented.
The state capitol was the nexus of science, politics and passion Tuesday morning. The house environmental committee was listening to testimony on whether the sulfate emission standards, aimed at protecting wild rice, should be changed by legislative fiat to what is essentially a random number. Now, it's 10 mg/liter, a level established decades ago by a state biologist.
But the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce says that's too much of a hurdle for industries like mining and water treatment facilities. Achieving it will cost them millions of dollars, when research studies that are just getting started may yet prove that level is lower than it needs to be. Why not change it temporarily to (pick a number) 250 mg per liter, while the scientists figure out what the right number should be? The committee is considering that language in the environment finance bill.
State regulators never enforced the standard -- until last year. As a result, say environmental groups and Indian tribes, wild rice is in decline across the northern part of the state. Meanwhile, mining projects are screeching to halt because they've been thwarted by -- wild rice.
Of course, it may all be pointless because, ultimately, it's the federal Environmental Protection Agency that decides water quality standards. It's all part of the Clean Water Act.
Stay tuned. More on this later this week.
