Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 24, 2006 Technical Contact: Tom Schaub 218-529-6251 Media Contact: Anne Perry Moore 218-723-2356 All staff, voice and TTY: 800-657-3864 Duluth, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host an informational meeting to present a draft of the state's 2006 list of polluted waters. The meeting will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at the MPCA Duluth Regional Office, 525 Lake Avenue South, Suite 400. The listed waters, also known as "impaired waters" under the Federal Clean Water Act, do not meet water-quality standards. Pollutant levels in these waters are above acceptable limits. Because of that, these waters are unable to meet their designated uses for fishing, swimming and aquatic habitat. The state is required to update its polluted waters list every two years. The draft 2006 update includes 396 new listings, which brings the total list of impairments to 2,274. Since some waters have multiple impairments, the 2006 list includes 1,008 lakes and 721 river segments with one or more pollutant problems. Approximately 16 percent of lakes and 10 percent of streams have been assessed at this time, and as more water bodies are evaluated, the list is expected to grow larger. The northeastern portion of the state has several new listings in the 2006 draft, including one new segment of the Little Fork River and six new lakes in the Rainy River Basin. In the Lake Superior Basin, six new lakes have been added to the impaired waters list, along with several additional sections of the St. Louis River. More details about the draft 2006 list of polluted waters is available on the MPCA Web site at hhref="/water/tmdl.html, along with maps and a complete list of all public information meetings. The draft 2006 list of polluted waters in Minnesota is on public notice from Monday, Jan. 23, to Friday, Feb. 24, 2006. Informational meetings include a presentation on categories of impaired waters and how water bodies are placed on the list. Opportunities for public participation in the process of identifying and cleaning up polluted waters will also be discussed. Changes to the meeting schedule (weather-related or otherwise) will be confirmed on the Web site as well. Direct questions, comments and requests for additional information to Howard Markus, MPCA, Environmental Analysis and Outcomes Division, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155, by calling 651-296-7295 or 1-800-657-3864, or by e-mail to howard.markus@pca.state.mn.us.