About the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)

Since 1974, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has been protecting our water, air, land and people.

MCEA works with government agencies, the Legislature, and the courts to set sound environmental policy, to ensure good laws are enacted, and to enforce the law when needed. We are committed to working across all sectors – private and public, profit and nonprofit, political and academic – to form the partnerships needed to succeed. Real environmental issues are complex and real environmental progress takes time. MCEA is in it for the long haul.

 

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Scott's Blog

Recent Posts

  • Smart Growth Report from EPA Posted 11 hours ago
    EPA has a new report out on the environmental and public health impacts of development patterns, transit, and land use - the so-called "built" environment. If any of you have wondered why MCEA has made such a strong commitment to transit and land use issues, this report makes a pretty strong case.
  • Complexity and Inaction Posted 11 hours ago
    Interesting article in this week's New Republic about slowing global warming trends and the variety of factors that may explain this "climate hiatus."  The article nicely depicts how scientific inquiry can lead to the appearance of greater uncertainty, which can in turn provide politicians with all they need to do nothing.
  • Important farm bill vote THIS WEEK Posted 11 hours ago
    The U.S. House of Representatives is taking up the farm bill this week.  As in the Senate, one of the major changes is moving away from so-called "direct payments" to farmers to a crop insurance system, still heavily subsidized by taxpayers.  Right now, however, they are considering a critical amendment--the Crop Insurance Accountability amendment--which would condition receipt of the crop insurance subsidy on compliance with conservation requirements.  Conservation compliance has been part of every farm bill since 1985, and is essential to protecting our soil and water, particularly when there are strong financial incentives to put even marginal farmland under the plow. The amendment is sponsored by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Indiana and Rep. Mike Thompson of California.  Minnesota's own Rep. Collin Peterson is the ranking Democrat on the committee, and will play a crucial role.  If you can, please contact Rep. Peterson and encourage him to support the Fortenberry-Thompson, crop insurance accountability amendment.  Rep; Thompson's web site has a list of organizations supporting the amendment, including both the Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau.
  • Drugs in our lakes and rivers Posted 22 hours ago
    More and more research is showing that drugs like antidepressants are showing up in our lakes and rivers at levels that can do serious damage to fish and wildlife, and potentially our drinking water.  Some of it comes from urine that contains these drugs (where the chemicals are not caught at the wastewater treatment plant) but a lot comes from drugs simply being flushed down the toilet. Read more here. This is another difficult pollution issue where individual behavior change has to be a major part of the solution

Recent News

Recent Posts

  • EPA Responds to 2009 De-Delegation Petition Posted 11 hours ago
    EPA hands MCEA's water warriors a big win! At long last, EPA has issued a formal response to MCEA's October 2009 petition to withdraw or correct the state's delegated program to issue discharge permits under the Clean Water Act. MCEA filed the petition requesting that the state be required to issue permits with water quality-based discharge limits, limit trading to cases where trades resulted in actual loading reductions, set minimum requirements in schedules of compliance to meet limits, and to correct straight-pipe septic systems. EPA responded that the state must begin setting discharge limits calculated to protect the receiving waters; and that it should revise its trading guidance, and ensure that local units of government gather necessary information on straight pipe septics. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has until the end of June to respond to EPA's findings, after which MCEA will have an opportunity to respond to both EPA's and MPCA's filings. This victory will go far to protect Minnesota's lakes, rivers and streams as well as waters beyond our borders. Learn more about de-delegation here. 
  • Join MCEA for a Clean Energy, Climate, and Health Forum Posted 6 days ago
    Mark your calendars! Please join Beyond Coal Central Minnesota for a forum on Clean Energy, Climate, and Health featuring polar explorer Will Steger and Fresh Energy's J. Drake Hamilton! Tuesday, July 9, 7:00 pm Rejoice Lutheran Church 1155 County Road 75 Clearwater, MN 55320 See you there! Check out this flyer for more information.
  • Dodge Center discharge comments Posted 2 weeks ago
    MCEA commented on a draft NPDES permit for Dodge Center WWTF, which discharges upstream from Lake Zumbro. The lake has been listed as impaired for excess nutrients. MPCA found that point sources (including Dodge Center) contribute to the excess nutrients, but the draft permit did not require any actual nutrient reductions from Dodge Center's current discharge. Instead, the permit reduced the permitted discharge, which significantly exceeds the actual pollution load -- an issue MCEA raised in its petition for dedelegation.
  • Clean Water Accountability Act has passed! Posted last month
    MCEA and its partners are thrilled to report that the Clean Water Accountability Act has passed both the house and the Senate. It was incorporated into the Omnibus Legacy Bill, passing the House 77-57 and the Senate 43-21. It is now awaiting Governor Dayton's signature. Thank you to our authors - Representative John Persell and Senator John Hoffman - for their diligent work protecting Minnesota's sky blue waters! Read more about the bill here. 

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