Caledonia Argus

Gov. Pawlenty pledges clean water initiative

Posted: 8/26/03

by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

Gov. Pawlenty stood on the banks of the Mississippi River and spoke of diving for white pebbles.

He didnít do the diving, Pawlenty explained to members of the Rivers Council of Minnesota recently gathered at Harriet Island in St. Paul.

That was one of his dadís childhood pursuits along the Mississippi, explained Pawlenty.

ìBut the point is, in order to get the rock, youíve got to see it,î said Pawlenty.

ìItís (the Mississippi River) an icon ó a symbol for so much what we face,î he said of cleaning up state waters.

Earlier this summer, Pawlenty presented a clean water initiative that included the creation of a clean water subcabinet.

Pawlenty stresses accountability in the initiative ó he wants measurable results, he said.

ìNot that we hope to improve it (water quality), but we did improve it in significant and measurable ways,î he said.

An element of Pawlentyís initiative is the use of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

CREP is a voluntary land retirement program in which farmers gain incentives for adopting certain environmental practices.

The creation of natural buffers can reduce soil erosion and help prevent some pollutants from entering state rivers.

State officials are in the final stages of applying for federal CREP funding, said Pawlenty. Bolstered by state matching funds, some $200 million might be amassed.

Pawlenty proposes to cut cropland soil erosion by at least two million tons per year and sediment to streams by 30 percent in the next decade.

Another goal calls for making rivers and stream more suitable for swimming within ten years.

Yet another goal is to improve recreational access to the Mississippi River.

Pawlenty sees his clean water initiative as achievable.

Federal funding can be gained and state resources can be better prioritized, he said.

ìI think weíll get bipartisan support for this ó I think, I know, Minnesotans value our water,î said Pawlenty.

ìI donít want to say it will be easy, but Iím confident weíll see this (the initiative) at the Legislature,î he said.

Rep. Dennis Ozment, R-Rosemount, expects clean water legislation next session ó heís not yet sure what kind.

Chair of the House environment and natural resources committee, Ozment said Mississippi River has improved but threats remain.

ìItís constant fight and we have to be vigilant about it,î he said.

Storm sewers continue to blow trash into the river, he explained.

Last year, volunteers gathered some 92 tons of litter along the river bank from Prescott, Wis., to St. Paul, he said.

The riverbed is littered with old tires and other garbage, he noted.

Ozment urged floating dock owners to make sure the styrofoam in their dock is encapsulated.

Loose styrofoam gets fragmented by dams and locks as it floats downstream, he explained.

There are islands where birds instead of nesting on sand nest instead on styrofoam particles, he said.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, also anticipates clean water legislation next session ó perhaps renewed attempts at banning phosphorous in detergents.

Marty, chair of the Senate environment and natural resources committee, said Pawlenty has sent mixed messages on environmental issues.

ìHeís not the environmental hero some people believe he should be,î said Marty.

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