REGIONAL— Gov. Mark Dayton is urging legislators back to the drawing board to seek a solution to resolve the ongoing dispute over the future of the state’s 10 mg/l sulfate discharge standard for wild rice waters. The governor said he’ll veto the sulfate repeal legislation recently passed in both the House and Senate without significant changes that are consistent with the Clean Water Act.

“The bill as written is an extreme approach that removes important protections for wild rice, conflicts with federal law, and guarantees ongoing litigation,” wrote Gov. Dayton in a May 3 letter to legislative leaders. “The proposed legislation does not ensure economic growth on the Iron Range, as any final resolution should and must. If sent to me without modifications, I will be forced to veto the legislation and Minnesota will be left without a practical solution, which is urgently needed.”

Dayton said he “recognizes” that the current standard is not technically or economically feasible for industries or municipalities, and that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s proposed new equation-based standard could not be implemented in a way that provided “clear and reasonable expectations.”

“I ask Legislators, representatives of the mining and labor communities, environmental advocates, and Tribal Leaders to work with Commissioner Stine and his staff to find a workable solution before the end of the legislative session,” said Dayton.