There's still some hope the proposed $80 million a year fund to clean up polluted waters can make it throught the Minnesota Legislature, but time is running out. However, the mere fact that both major political parties are even entertaining such a new fund puts Minnesota ahead of neighboring Great Lakes states that face a similar backlog of impaired waters.
Despite support from the governor, businesses groups and conservation organizations, a bill to clean up Minnesota's polluted waterways is in serious trouble at the Legislature.
At issue is how to pay for the effort. The measure, known as the Clean Water Legacy bill, would raise $80 million a year for the next decade by imposing a $36 annual fee on most residential sewer bills and septic systems, and a three-tiered charge for businesses, depending upon their size.
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