The Clean Water Act requires states such as Minnesota to set water quality standards, one part of which is an “anti-degradatation” policy.  Anti-degradation is, generally, intended to keep waters from becoming impaired and to protect and preserve the good water quality of lakes and rivers that are still clean. 

MCEA’s legal team reviewed Minnesota’s existing anti-degradation rule for compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The review found that the existing rule does not comport with federal requirements.  

In 2007, MCEA drafted a revised rule and submitted it with a petition for rulemaking to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The Agency has been working on a revised rule which it says will be published for comment in April 2012.

MCEA Documents
Petition

Click here for more information on the Anti-Degradation law and MCEA’s water quality work.

Outside Links
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Anti-Degradation site.