PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Wednesday June 21, 2006

Contact: Noel LaBine 763-477-3086

Lucheon Seminar on Waste Water Treatment Plant Expansions.

     

   

  The Wright County Economic Development Partnership held a Development Series Luncheon Seminar at Reichel's Banquet Center in Annandale on June 14 th . The event started at 11:30 a.m. with a luncheon buffet served to all of the attendees.

  Presentations started at noon with two presentations. First of all, Craig Johnson of The League of MN Cities made a presentation about the legal history of the environmental repercussions of waste water treatment plant expansions in the upper Mississippi Watershed. The second presenter, Ted Field of Bonestroo & Associates, discussed what the alternatives & choices would look like to comply with the strict environmental mandates. The following is a summation of their two presentations.

  The genesis of the current dilemma stems from the 1972 Clean Water Act, which demands that States must take actions to restore impaired waters. One of the primary pollutants is phosphate, and part of the plan is to reduce pollutants, which the state argues they are doing. Environmentalists take a different point of view and have sued Minnesota for violating the federal water quality standards. Because of the state's inaction, environmentalists contend, pollution in Minnesota 's rivers, lakes and streams is threatening to block economic growth and erode our quality of life. The result of this suit is the hold up of the expansion of the Annandale-Maple Lake Waste Water Treatment Plant expansion project (AMPLWWP). The state is arguing that they have, in fact, been cognizant of the effort to reduce phosphates into the waterways, because the MN EPA made the decision to allow the AMPLWWP plant to be built, because the reduction of 53,000 units of phosphate from the Litchfield's new plant more than offsets the minor increase of 2,200 units from the AMPLWWP. The argument is that the MN EPA made the best decision, and in fact, has the discretion to make those decisions. The logic is that as long as the total pollutants are being substantially reduced the waters will be improved in quality.

  The strategies that have to be taken to comply with a stricter set of guidelines were also talked about. The bottom line is that the future expansions and additions to water treatment in many cases will be more costly. The need for the state to provide funding to help communities comply with those new mandates is very important to allow for future growth. Also, the role of pollution from agriculture will also have to be address by the state, since a significant amount of the pollution to the waterways comes from agriculture. To help mitigate that problem, the state will also need to identify funding pools.

   The Partnership exists to enhance the business climate of Wright County and to help create more jobs in Wright County . The strategies the Partnership uses to achieve its mission include being an information resource and finding technical assistance; aiding business development through Business Retention & Expansion visits, providing financing resources, and providing business information and training through seminars and workshops. Also, the Partnership markets Wright County to business site locators, and maintains an excellent website, which includes a listing of commercial and industrial property available in Wright County (see www.wrightpartnership.org ). The Partnership also assists with Workforce Development and has gathered economic statistical information, which is available on its website.