After almost four years of processing 400-plus comments and several requests for contested case hearings, the MPCA has finished revisions to the South Metro Mississippi Total Maximum Daily (TMDL) report and submitted it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for final approval. The report addresses the total suspended solids impairment in the river from St. Paul to Lake Pepin. Photo: Plume of sediment entering the Mississippi from the Minnesota River.During the 2012 public comment period, the agency received requests for contested case hearings from the following entities:
- City of Minneapolis;
- Minnesota Cities Stormwater Coalition / League of Minnesota Cities and several other member cities or entities;
- Lower Minnesota River Watershed District;
- Minnesota Soybean Growers Assoc., Brown County Corn and Soybean Growers, and several individual producers; and
- Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance.
After discussions and other communication with MPCA staff, the city of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Cities Stormwater Coalition / League of Minnesota Cities (and most of the member cities / entities) and the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance withdrew their hearing requests. After much review and discussion, the MPCA denied the other hearing requests.
The revised TMDL report is available on the South Metro Mississippi webpage.
The majority of sediment in this stretch of the Mississippi originates in the Greater Blue Earth River and Minnesota River. The agency is working on revisions to TMDL reports for those river systems. The revisions address changes in water quality standards.
