Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 forrest.peterson@pca.state.mn.us Marshall, Minn. - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will host an informational meeting to present a draft of the state's 2008 list of polluted waters. The meeting will be 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, at the MPCA Marshall Office, located at 1420 E. College Dr. The MPCA recently announced its biennial update of the federally-required list of the state's polluted lakes and stream segments. The draft update adds 287 new polluted waters to the existing list, bringing the current total to 1,469. The listed waters, also known as "impaired waters" under the federal Clean Water Act, do not meet water-quality standards. The waters contain pollutants at levels above acceptable limits designed to protect public uses. The listed waters need further study to determine how they can be restored to a healthy condition. The proposed 2008 Impaired Waters list, methodology for listing and regional maps are available on the MPCA's Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/tmdl-303dlist.html. The list is formally on public notice from Oct. 8 to Nov. 7, 2007. Submit questions, comments or requests for additional information to Howard Markus at MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN, 55155, by phone at 651-296-7295 or e-mail at howard.markus@pca.state.mn.us.