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- Agency Profile - Administration Dept
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Statewide Outcome(s):
Environmental Quality Board supports the following statewide outcome(s).
A clean, healthy environment with sustainable uses of natural resources.
Context:
In 1973, M.S. 116C.03 established the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to further debate concerning population, economic and technological growth so that the consequences and causes of alternative decisions could be better known and understood by the public and its government.
With the goal of more efficiently supporting the work of the EQB, Executive Order 11-32 in 2011 transferred the EQB from the Department of Administration (Admin) to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). This transfer assigns the EQB’s support to an agency with the background and expertise in many of the issues facing the Board. Although the EQB’s support currently is coming from the MPCA, the narrative information appears in the Admin section because the appropriation for the EQB is included in Admin’s budget.
Strategies:
The EQB brings together, in a public forum, the Governor’s Office, five citizens, and the heads of nine state agencies that are vital to Minnesota’s environment and development efforts. While the agency supporting the EQB has changed, the Board continues to make separate decisions and provides the public forum for discussing state environment policies and decisions. The EQB’s work serves local units of government, state agencies, and the citizens of Minnesota in its review of current issues and the studies, policies or rules needed to address those issues. The EQB uses the Environmental Quality Monitor, published every other week, to keep the public informed of projects and discussions of general interest. The Monitor can be found at:
http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/monitor.html.
The EQB is undergoing a strategic review process to determine its role in the future. This review will develop revised strategies to ensure state agencies are functioning efficiently with regard to balancing Minnesota’s environmental and development efforts, and providing a place for public discourse on environmental issues. Executive Order 11-32 requires the EQB to evaluate and make recommendations regarding:
· Improvement of the environmental review and permitting process;
· Improvement of environmental governance and coordination; and
· Preparation of an environmental and energy report card to measure Minnesota’s performance and progress protecting Minnesota’s air, water, and land resources.
Results:
The work of the EQB has changed in the past four decades. The results of this work have been improved permitting, consistency in the types of facilities evaluated for environmental impacts, and better coordination among state agencies and between state and local agencies. To track results, the EQB publishes specific reports, such as the “Biennial Water Priorities Report”, which includes the priorities and progress on those priorities. The most recent report may be found at
http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/documents/2008-2009PrioritiesReportMay2007FINAL.pdf.
More specific information about the EQB may be obtained at http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/program.html?Id=18107.
Performance Measures Notes: