The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizen's Board, the agency's governing body, has approved the issuance of a permit to control phosphorus discharges in the Minnesota River Basin.

The Board ruled unanimously in favor of issuing the Minnesota River Basin General Phosphorus Permit - Phase I during its regularly scheduled meeting at the agency headquarters in St. Paul last week.

The basin phosphorus permit lists approximately 150 municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities that discharge to the Minnesota River and its tributaries. The facilities are located between the outlet of the Lac Qui Parle reservoir and the city of Shakopee. The permit is designed to achieve a 35 percent reduction in phosphorus throughout the basin by 2010. It represents the first phase of an overall plan to reduce phosphorus in the basin 51 percent by 2015.

The permit prohibits any net increase of phosphorus discharge to the basin. The permit does allow phosphorus trading between and among wastewater treatment facilities in the basin. Trading provides an opportunity to meet the pollutant reduction goals efficiently by coordinating basin-wide phosphorus load reductions. Those facilities able to cost effectively reduce their phosphorus discharge can trade with other facilities that may not be able to meet the reduction goals at this time.

“The Minnesota River Basin General Phosphorus Permit represents a new era in water quality management,” said Gene Soderbeck, supervisor of the MPCA's Municipal Wastewater Unit for Southwest Minnesota. “The basin-wide approach to implementation is a more systematic and realistic way to initiate water restoration activities. We are pleased with the results and wish to extend our sincere appreciation to all the citizens who participated in the planning and development of this permit. We look forward to issuing the permit and working with facilities throughout the basin to meet the reduction goals.”

Phase I is the first step in the implementation plan for a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004. The TMDL addresses the problem of low dissolved oxygen in the Minnesota River during low flow conditions. During low flows, excess phosphorus generates algal blooms. Eventually, the algae die off and decompose. The decomposition process creates a shortage of the dissolved oxygen needed to sustain aquatic life.

The basin permit applies only to wastewater treatment facilities. Wastewater treatment facilities contribute approximately two-thirds of the phosphorus discharged into the basin during low flow conditions. Other phosphorus sources include agriculture, storm water and individual sewage treatment systems. Implementation methods to reduce phosphorus contributions from these sources are currently under review.

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