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Water

Water shortages and problems around Minnesota — and the country — have many wondering what is the true cost of clean and reliable water. This reporting is supported in part by The Water Main, a project of American Public Media.

DNR seeks tougher groundwater measurement

DNR seeks tougher groundwater measurement

Suspecting it is getting bad information from some water users, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has asked the Legislature for stricter requirements and penalties for measuring what wells are pumping.
by Dave Peters

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The PolyMet mining damage deposit: A landlord's advice

The PolyMet mining damage deposit: A landlord's advice

A landlord hopes a tenant's damage deposit will cover cleanup and repair costs, just as the state of Minnesota hopes financial assurance would protect the state's taxpayers from future cleanup and reclamation costs years from now at PolyMet's proposed copper-nickel mine and processing facility.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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Scrutiny of PolyMet proposal turns to cleanup

Scrutiny of PolyMet proposal turns to cleanup

A Minnesota House committee will look Tuesday at whether the financial assurance package can be structured to protect taxpayers now and potentially centuries into the future.
by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

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Feds to spend $30M on forests across US, including in Minn.

Feds to spend $30M on forests across US, including in Minn.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday it will spend $30 million this year on forest restoration projects in 12 states to reduce the threat of wildfires, protect water quality and improve wildlife habitat for at-risk species.

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Wis. DNR proposes adding 192 waterways to polluted list

There are already more than 700 waters listed as impaired in Wisconsin, including many sections of the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers.
by The Associated Press

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Skepticism apparent as state tries new approach to Bonanza Valley water

Skepticism apparent as state tries new approach to Bonanza Valley water

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources last night launched its third project to deal with water availability differently than in the past. We asked Dan Haugen, a reporter and writer in Sioux Falls, S.D., to check out how it went. Here’s his report. BELGRADE — Central Minnesota farmers and well owners listened with skepticism and Read more →
by Dave Peters

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PolyMet environmental study inconclusive on water treatment, fueling confusion

PolyMet environmental study inconclusive on water treatment, fueling confusion

Debate over the need for long-term water treatment has dominated public testimony surrounding PolyMet's proposed copper-nickel mine, but the agencies studying the plan didn't ask the one question seemingly everyone wants the answer to: How long exactly will that treatment be needed?
by Elizabeth Dunbar and Dan Kraker

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DNR: New water data could alter PolyMet environmental study

DNR: New water data could alter PolyMet environmental study

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the current draft of the environmental impact statement for PolyMet's mine and processing facility estimated the nearby Partridge River's flow using data that differs from other, more recent data.
by Elizabeth Dunbar and Dan Kraker

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Mining supporters dominate hearing on PolyMet proposal

Mining supporters dominate hearing on PolyMet proposal

Aurora, a small town of 1,600 on the northeastern edge of the Iron Range, is a hotbed of support for the proposal. Many residents once worked at LTV Steel, a nearby taconite plant that shut down in 2001, causing more than 1,000 employees to lose their jobs. PolyMet is proposing to reuse the shuttered plant.
by Elizabeth Dunbar and Dan Kraker

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Rising groundwater demand in Bonanza Valley prompts new state approach

Rising groundwater demand in Bonanza Valley prompts new state approach

Groundwater demand in an area of central Minnesota has increased by 175 percent in the past 25 years — five times as much as the state average, according to the Department of Natural Resources. That’s a big reason the Bonanza Valley, an area that stretches from southern Douglas County to Paynesville in Stearns County, is Read more →
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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