MCEA's Work is Democracy Work

By MCEA CEO Kathryn Hoffman

I’ve been thinking a lot about the makings of a strong democracy as we see increasing threats to our own. As an environmental law nonprofit, MCEA might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of the organizations fighting to defend and uphold our democratic values. And yet - it is core to who we are and what we do. 

From protecting citizens’ ability to gather and access information, to ensuring their voices are heard and defended on environmental issues that impact their lives, our staff work every day to protect the public’s rights to meaningfully engage in our democracy. 

Let’s start with the right to gather and access information. Our staff routinely investigate everyday threats to our air and water. Some of those threats are visible, like the billowing pollutants spewing from the now shuttered Smith Foundry in the East Phillips neighborhood. Other threats are invisible, like the PFAS “forever chemicals” found in so many of the products we use every day. 

In both cases, MCEA helped shine a light on these risks and worked to make sure residents could both access and better understand pertinent data on environmental threats impacting their lives. 

We also protect the public’s right to be heard by ensuring the public can meaningfully participate in government decisions.  We consistently advocate for public comment periods and public hearings on permitting, rule-making and other decisions that affect our environment, natural resources, and public health.  We also consult with Minnesotans to help them engage in these public processes and will object whenever we find out the public has been excluded from meaningful participation.

That brings us to MCEA’s greatest strength – defending the rights of Minnesotans in court when other systems have failed to uphold them. When the Minnesota Legislature tried to cut the public and the tribes out of the process to decide whether to build a new sprawling polluting plywood facility near a reservation, MCEA took legal action. When our state agencies hid information from the public about the concerns posed by PolyMet, Minnesota’s first proposed sulfide mine, MCEA was there. 

With the current administration attempting to fling open the doors to big industry writ-large, threatening government funding for independent science, and even attempting to stop lawyers from challenging their actions, MCEA’s work is more important than ever. We will always stand boldly for the rule of law and democracy, and will continue to do everything in our power to protect Minnesotans’ rights to meaningfully participate in the public process, including, when necessary, taking their case to court. 

That’s the kind of democracy work we have been doing for fifty years. And it’s what we will continue doing.