Every three years, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) publishes an updated Mandatory Category Report detailing project types that require environmental review in our state. Examples of Mandatory Categories included in this report include pipeline projects or feedlot expansions. Currently, the EQB is soliciting input from the public on the mandatory categories or their decision criteria for their next report, due in December 2024.

As you may know, Minnesota has recently experienced an uptick of large-scale anaerobic manure digester project proposals. These projects present significant environmental risks to our rural communities’ air, soil, water, and public health. The concentration of liquid manure in one location heightens the likelihood of spills and accidents during transportation, collection, and storage. Digesters can diminish air quality through elevated emissions of ammonia, nitrous oxide, and dust from increased truck activity. In extreme cases, digesters may pose explosion hazards, endangering nearby workers, animals, neighbors, and emergency responders.

As the environmental review rules currently stand, only anaerobic manure digesters processing 25,000 dry tons of input or more per year qualify for environmental review. Twenty-five thousand dry tons of input is approximately equivalent to the amount of manure produced by an 11,000 animal unit dairy operation. Just seven of Minnesota’s registered feedlots are larger than 11,000 animal units. Our environmental review policies must reflect the realities of our state’s agricultural demographics. It is essential to lower the environmental review threshold of anaerobic manure digesters from 25,000 dry tons of input per year to 10,000 dry tons of input or more per year.

Will you sign our petition telling the EQB to lower the environmental review threshold for anaerobic manure digesters from 25,000 dry tons of input per year to 10,000 dry tons of input or more per year? Sign below!

—Click HERE to Sign the Petition—

Want to be part of the conversation with the EQB? Click here to join the EQB’s next virtual roundtable on this topic on Tuesday, April 23, from noon to 1 p.m.

Want to Get More Involved in LSP’s Animal Ag Work?

• Join our next Campaign Action Meeting, from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m., on April 23, via Zoom.

• Sign the manure management reform petition.