MINNESOTA PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP:

The records represent MPIRG's intervention in hearings before the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (1981), which dealt with the amendment of state ambient sulfur dioxide and ozone standards, a petition by Northern States Power Company before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to raise electric rates (1980-1981), and an administrative hearing regarding the certification of need for the construction of an electric power plant in Sherburne County (Minn.).

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These documents are organized into the following sections:

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,929

Processing Information:

Processed by: Frank Hennessy, June 1994

Catalog ID number: 990017304590104294

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The MPCA hearings dealt with a proposed revision to Minnesota Rule APC-1, 6 MCAR S4.0001, Relating to Ambient Air Quality Standards. State standards at the time of the hearings were stricter than federal standards and industry groups wanted them lowered, while environmental groups wanted to maintain the stricter state level.

Records in this series consist primarily of background material on the causes and effects of acid precipitation including a group of reports (undated and 1977-1981) co-authored by Gary E. Glass of the EPA Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth; a group of reports and articles (1977-1981) dealing with acid rain in Canada and U.S./Canada trans-boundary air pollution; testimony from a briefing presented to Minnesota Senator David Durenburger by the Minnesota Atmospheric Pollutants Advisory Committee (April 7, 1980), which includes a copy of "The Causes and Effects of Acid Rain in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area," by MPIRG staff researcher Carol Propotnik; a folder containing a report entitled "Economic Assessment of Air Pollution Damage to Agriculture and Silvaculture Crops in Minnesota" (April 1981), background information on Sagar Krupa, one of the studies' chief investigators, and the project's contract; three reports issued by Clean Air-Clean Water Unlimited (1981); and the transcript of MPIRG staff economist Byron L. Harris' testimony at the hearings (April 27, 1981).

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Acid rain -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.

Acid precipitation (Meteorology) -- Research -- Minnesota.

Acid precipitation (Meteorology) -- Economic aspects -- Minnesota.

Acid precipitation (Meteorology) -- Research -- Canada.

Air -- Pollution -- Standards -- Minnesota.

Air quality management -- Minnesota.

Electric power-plants -- Location -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota -- Sherburne County.

Electric power-plants -- Environmental aspects -- Minnesota.

Electric utilities -- Rates -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.

Electric power-plants -- Environmental aspects -- Wisconsin.

Transboundary pollution -- Canada.

Persons:

Durenberger, David.

Glass, Gary E.

Harris, Byron, 1955-.

Krupa, Sagar V.

Propotnik, Carol J.

Reagan, Patrick Lee.

Simmons, W.S.

Organizations:

Clean Air-Clean Water Unlimited (Organization : Minn.).

Environmental Research Laboratory (Duluth, Minn.).

Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry.

Minnesota Atmospheric Pollutant Advisory Committee.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Northern States Power Company (Minnesota) -- Trials, litigation, etc.

Sherburne County Generating Unit No. 3 (Minn.).

Places:

Minnesota -- Industries -- Environmental aspects.

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