10-25-1993 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Wetlands petfonn essential hydrologic and water quaiiry functions such as lowering of 11^ peaks. ^rnvi-Htna fntc-chanec bctwccn surface water and groundwater, and filtenng and absorb .g pollutants. Became of lh«c fuLtions. nv.-Hands are critical for reducing nonpoinl source pollution to area lakes and rivers.’ 'Die Metropolitan Council I, Seote-riber 1988 the Metropolitan Council adopted its Wster Resources Managemens Wasiewaier Treomem and Handling Policy Plan (hereafter the policy plan). Local governme.nts were not lied of the poUcy plan contents in the April. 1989 systems statement and pursuant W the Metropohtan lind P^anSng Act. had nine months to amend their comprehensive plans, -nie need to reduce wnpoint soufee pollution, to especially the Minnesota lUver Basin, through regulating land development is well documented in the Council's policy plan. Howeven because of the potential that nonpoint pollution may impact MWCC wastewater treatment plants efflueni limits m *c future tte CouL'l adopted Policy 1-1 of the Council's Wasiewaier Treaor.eni and handling Policy Plan which states: mireatmenl levels required fer wastewater treatment plants in the metropolitan sjstem she .Id dearly recognize the need to control both point and nonpoint sources of pollution from with:*.; and outside the Metropolitan Area (p. 9). Tne Council has actively pursued the imple.mentation of its policy to reduce rxnpoint source pollution to area water bodies. The Council’s policy plan outlines the rcsponsioihtics for i.T.plexenting policy 1*1. These include, but arc not limited to. 1. working with watemhed management organizations (WMOs) and the MPCA on monitoring and managing nonpoint source pollution programs; and, 2. evaluating the efforts of WMOs and local gove.'^ents to control nonpoint source pollution and their impact on river water quality and effects on treatment plant effluent limits, (p. 10) The Council has also used its authority under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act of 19/6 to tc'Acm and comment on comprehensive plan amendments and e.nv’’ronmentaI reviews to implement its policy on reducing nonpoint source pollution. These commenu have generally focused on me need to reduce nonpoint source pollution and the possible tools that m.ay be used to accomplish this tas * In addition to policy 1-1 of the Council’s Water Resources Managemeni Plan, Part 1, the Council has two other policies addressing the environmental cffeca of nonpoint source poUution and water quality. The Council’s Water Resources Managemens Plan, Part 3 states in policy 3-4 that: The Coundl. through its numerous rei.new and approval authorities, will preser.e aU protected and unprotected natural watercourses — including associated wetlands, channel, Coodp ains and shorelands - to enhance water quantity and quality and to preserve their ^logic functions (page 3-26); . \ ' 5