Star Tribune Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:10:55 GMT
More water testing leads to more evidence of pollution
The number has risen to 1,400 rivers and lakes -- the highest ever; the listing allows the MPCA to take action. The number of Minnesota waterways known to be polluted has risen to 1,400, its highest level ever. But the increase has more to do with more extensive testing of rivers and lakes than an overall increase in pollution from farms, cities and factories. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency proposed Tuesday to add nearly 300 "impairments" to the state's inventory of polluted waters. The list, updated every two years, is required by the federal Clean Water Act to identify lakes and river segments in need of cleanup. For those waterways, the state can impose pollution limits that require farmers, businesses and cities to change their practices. New on the latest inventory are listings for PFOS, a chemical formerly made by 3M that has been found in fish in 13 metro-area lakes, and acetochlor, a corn herbicide detected in segments of two southeastern Minnesota rivers.
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