ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Thursday, the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee heard and passed Senator Foung Hawj’s (DFL-St. Paul) bill to reinstate the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) citizens board (SF 1937). Following the hearing, Senator Hawj released the following statement:
“Minnesota has greater environmental justice goals now more than ever as we work towards a zero-carbon future and prioritizing a healthy climate. The board was created in 1967 to provide oversight of the MPCA and was later eliminated in 2015. There needs to be checks and balances in our government, and by reinstating the board, we do just that. The board will check the MPCA’s actions, and this is essential for providing an open, accessible, and democratic process for review. The board must represent the state in terms of race, gender, and geography, ensuring that the MPCA addresses the needs of communities across Minnesota.”
The bill passed the Senate State and Local Governmental and Veterans Committee and will head to the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee.
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