Best Management Practices

Subdivision 1. Development by Pollution Control Agency. Except as provided in subdivision 2 for agricultural chemicals and practices, the Pollution Control Agency in consultation with local water planning authorities shall develop best management practices for the prevention of groundwater degradation for specific activity categories. The Pollution Control Agency shall contact and solicit comments from affected persons and businesses in developing the best management practices. The Pollution Control Agency must publish notice and also solicit comments and recommendations from state agencies and local governments affected by or regulating the activities. Subd. 2. Agricultural chemicals; best management practices. The commissioner of agriculture, in consultation with local water planning authorities, shall develop best management practices for agricultural chemicals and practices. The commissioner shall give public notice and contact and solicit comment from affected persons and businesses interested in developing the best management practices. Subd. 3. Education and promotion. The commissioners of the Pollution Control Agency and agriculture, in conjunction with the Board of Water and Soil Resources, soil and water conservation districts, and the Minnesota Extension Service, must promote best management practices and provide education about how the use of best management practices will prevent, minimize, reduce, and eliminate the source of groundwater degradation. The promotion and education shall include demonstration projects. Subd. 4. Evaluation. The commissioners of agriculture and the Pollution Control Agency shall, through field audits and other appropriate means, monitor the use and effectiveness of best management practices developed and promoted under this section. The information collected must be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board.