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<br />reshwater Society President Gene Merriam and Michael
<br />Osterholm, a member of the society's Guardianship
<br />Council, have briefed several legislative committees
<br />about the society's recent report on ground water sustainabil-
<br />ity and surface water pollution.
<br />The report, Water Is Life: Protecting A Critical Resource For
<br />Future Generations, was issued by the society last October. It was
<br />prepared by the Guardianship Council, aneight-member blue-
<br />ribbon citizen advisory committee appointed by the society.
<br />Rep. Jean Wagenius of Minneapolis, the chair of the Envi-
<br />ronment and Natural Resources Division of the House Finance
<br />Committee, said she invited Merriam to testify because she
<br />valued the findings and recommendations the Freshwater
<br />Society made in the report issued last October.
<br />"I had read his report, and it gave the best overview of
<br />any current report on the problems facing Minnesota waters,"
<br />Wagenius said.
<br />The report, which is available at www.freshwater.org, said
<br />experts disagree on whether current ground water patterns in
<br />Minnesota are sustainable in light of predictions that the state's
<br />population will grow by 1 million people. The report recom-
<br />mended "a scientifically rigorous study of sustainability" that
<br />would inspire consensus among experts and citizens. The report
<br />also recommended increased monitoring of both ground and
<br />surface water to prevent and cure pollution.
<br />Merriam testified Jan. 12 before the Senate Committee on
<br />Environment and Natural Resources.
<br />On Jan. 28, Merriam and Osterholm, presented the report
<br />before a joint meeting of two finance subcommittees: Wage-
<br />nius' division and the Cultural and Outdoor Resources Divi-
<br />sion, chaired by Rep. Mary Murphy.
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<br />bout 150 people attended the
<br />__ ~. Freshwater Society's 8th annual
<br />Road Salt Symposium this year
<br />and heard presentations on the build-up
<br />of chloride from road salt in Twin Cities
<br />lakes and on alternatives to salt as a
<br />highway and bridge deicer.
<br />In the presentations:
<br />Eric Novotny, a University of
<br />Minnesota graduate student, presented
<br />research indicating a high percentage
<br />of the salt used on metro area roads is
<br />retained in surface and ground water.
<br />Glenn Skuta, a Minnesota Pollution
<br />Control Agency manager, described his
<br />agency's plan to clean up surface waters
<br />And on Feb. 26, Merriam and Osterholm again presented the
<br />report to a new House subcommittee appointed to oversee spend-
<br />ing on water from the sales tax increase approved by voters in
<br />November. All the testimony presented by Merriam and Oster-
<br />holm came in response to invitations from lawmakers.
<br />Osterholm, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center
<br />for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told the House com-
<br />mittees that all kinds of chemicals, from farm fertilizers to phar-
<br />maceuticals, make their way into ground water.
<br />"We've had 80,000 generations of human beings, and only in
<br />the last 1.5 generations have we produced most of the modern
<br />chemicals that we now have to worry about," Osterholm.
<br />Wagenius said that, for her, the testimony by Merriam and
<br />Osterholm "crystallized the need to move immediately and not to
<br />wait.,,
<br />In late February, Wagenius and Sen. Ellen Anderson, the chair
<br />of the Senate Environment, Energy and Natural Resources budget
<br />committee introduced bills proposing to appropriate $750,000 for
<br />the University of Minnesota's Water Resources Center to work
<br />with local, state and federal agencies, plus non-profit organiza-
<br />tions to develop a 25-year water plan for the state. The bills seek
<br />"research, monitoring and evaluation in order to achieve sustain-
<br />able ground and surface water, including the ecological benefits
<br />provided by water resources to humans and fish and wildlife
<br />habitat."
<br />The Freshwater Society has been working with the Water
<br />Resources Center since last fall on a series of workshops on the
<br />sustainability of ground water.
<br />.Both Wagenius and Anderson proposed that the $750,000 come
<br />from the new Clean Water Fund supported by revenue from the
<br />sales tax increase.
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<br />impaired by chloride.
<br />Thomas Ballestero from the Univer-
<br />sity of New Hampshire's Storm Water
<br />Center talked about the potential porous
<br />pavements has shown for reducing the
<br />volume of deicing material needed in
<br />northern. climates.
<br />Scott Koefod, a Cargill Salt and
<br />Deicing Technology researcher, discussed
<br />liquid, non-salt deicers.
<br />Wilfrid Nixon, a University of Iowa.
<br />professor, talked about winter mainte-
<br />nance techniques that reduce the need
<br />for road salt.
<br />A team of environmental special-
<br />ists from the Minnesota Department of
<br />Transportation-Wendy Frederickson,
<br />Kathy Schaefer and Joe Huenke-spoke
<br />on the department's snow- and ice-clear-
<br />ing strategies.
<br />Several researchers and organizations
<br />also received Environmental Leadership
<br />Awards for work in reducing water pollu-
<br />tion. from road salt. Details on the awards
<br />and copies of presentations made by the
<br />speakers are available at the Programs link
<br />on the Freshwater web site www.freshtnrater.
<br />org. An article, published in the Decem-
<br />ber Freshwater Society newsletter, about
<br />evidence of chloride pollution found by
<br />Novotny and other University of Minnesota
<br />researchers also is available on the web site.
<br />FACETS March 2009
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