Gov. Mark Dayton kicked off a week of clean water related events with a Monday news conference, hoping to drum up support for water-related spending at the Legislature as lawmakers enter the final weeks of their annual session.
Legislators are debating a bonding package that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars in local projects, including $220 million proposed by Dayton for clean water spending.
"As Minnesotans, who have inherited this incredible state, we have no greater shared responsibility than our stewardship: to protect and improve the priceless natural resources, which we will pass on to our children and grandchildren," Dayton said.
Dayton has taken a number of steps in the past year or so to leave a clean water legacy, including long negotiations over a bill to require buffer strips around waterways to protect them from farm pollution.
His bonding proposal, which would help outstate communities invest in water quality upgrades to fight farm pollution, is the largest of its kind in state history. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates Minnesota needs to invest $11 billion during the next 20 years to maintain and upgrade its water infrastructure.
Dayton has clashed at times with agricultural interests, which have felt singled out by his water quality policies and rhetoric.
The Dayton administration is asking Minnesotans to spend the week learning about water; teaching children about water quality; setting a conservation goal; and, contacting legislators to express interest.
