| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to environment; facilitating use of artificial aquifer recharge where |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 appropriate; appropriating money for groundwater storage and recovery; amending |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 103A.204. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 103A.204, is amended to read: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 103A.204 GROUNDWATER POLICY. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 (a) The responsibility for the protection of groundwater in Minnesota is vested in a |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9multiagency approach to management. The following is a list of agencies and the groundwater |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10protection areas for which the agencies are primarily responsible; the list is not intended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11restrict the areas of responsibility to only those specified: |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 (1) Environmental Quality Board: coordination of state groundwater protection programs; |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13 (2) Pollution Control Agency: water quality monitoring and reporting and the |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14development of best management practices and regulatory mechanisms for protection of |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15groundwater from nonagricultural chemical contaminants; |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (3) Department of Agriculture: sustainable agriculture, integrated pest management, |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17water quality monitoring, and the development of best management practices and regulatory |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18mechanisms for protection of groundwater from agricultural chemical contaminants; |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19 (4) Board of Water and Soil Resources: reporting on groundwater education and outreach |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20with local government officials, local water planning and management, and local cost-share |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21programs; |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | REVISOR CKM/AD 25-0160912/20/24 |
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| 24 | 24 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 26 | 26 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 27 | 27 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 28 | 28 | | H. F. No. 1207 |
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| 29 | 29 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION 2.1 (5) Department of Natural Resources: water quantity monitoring and regulation, |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2.2sensitivity mapping, and development of a plan for the use of integrated pest management |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.3and sustainable agriculture on state-owned lands; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.4 (6) Department of Health: regulation of wells and borings, and the development of health |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.5risk limits under section 103H.201. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.6 (b) The Environmental Quality Board shall prepare a report on policy issues related to |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.7its responsibilities listed in paragraph (a), and include these reports with the assessments in |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.8section 103A.43 and the "Minnesota Water Plan" in section 103B.151. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.9 (c) Where groundwater levels are depleted and not naturally recovering with sufficient |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.10speed, it is the policy of the state that artificial recharge options be considered and |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.11implemented where feasible and appropriate. |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.12 Sec. 2. GROUNDWATER STORAGE AND RECOVERY. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.13 Subdivision 1.Appropriation.$....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.14fund to the commissioner of natural resources to complete a centralized aquifer-property |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.15database to provide needed data for site characterization. This is a onetime appropriation. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.16 Subd. 2.Department of Health duties.The commissioner of health must: |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.17 (1) develop a decision-support system and cost-benefit analysis tool for interested parties |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.18to evaluate the potential to use aquifer storage and recovery; |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.19 (2) apply to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for primacy over class |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.20V injection wells; |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.21 (3) modify Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103I, to allow injection wells in aquifer storage |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.22and recovery projects that meet specified design criteria; and |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.23 (4) develop a process for well permitting with engineering and environmental details, |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.24including source water, aquifer, pre- and post-treatment, reporting, and monitoring |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.25requirements. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2Sec. 2. |
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| 55 | 55 | | REVISOR CKM/AD 25-0160912/20/24 |
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