| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| February 20, 2002 | Rep. Paulsen (651-296-7449) |
ST. PAUL Minnesotans want cleaner, healthier water, and legislation making its way through the Minnesota Legislature co-authored by State Representative Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) will help make that possible.
Paulsen is sponsoring innovative legislation designed to give citizens the tools they need to participate in taking care of Minnesota's lakes, streams and drinking water. The legislation allows the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) to train citizens and local governments to collect and test the water quality in their own local communities.
"Many Minnesotans are concerned about preserving the quality of our water, which is one of our state's most important natural resources," said Paulsen. "I share these concerns, and that's why I'm sponsoring this common-sense legislation. It will improve the quality of our water at no extra cost to the taxpayer, so it won't add to the state's budget deficit."
Paulsen said that the PCA has provided input on the legislation and is eager to help. In addition to training citizens to monitor water quality, the PCA will make sure that the hard work of concerned Minnesotans matches the requirements needed to obtain environmental clean-up program dollars from the federal government, said Paulsen.
Paulsen's legislation is a primary policy initiative of Protect Our Water, an organization dedicated to conserving Minnesota's water resources for future generations. The Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a coalition of more than 75 nonprofit conservation and environmental groups representing more than 500,000 Minnesota households, also supports the legislation.
"We know that Minnesotans are hard-working people who value the natural resources of this great state," added Paulsen. "If the state government provides Minnesotans with the tools and establishes parameters, I believe citizens will jump at the chance to make sure that the water we drink, swim, and fish in is safe."
The legislation has passed the House Environment Committee and will be voted on by the full House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
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