The court-approved agreement settling the natural resources damage lawsuit specifies how the grant from 3M can be spent by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural resources (DNR). It sets two top priorities for funding and provides guidelines for using any remaining money after those two issues are adequately addressed. It also directs the MPCA and DNR to set up a working group to guide use of the funds.
Expedited projects
Recognizing that there may be some time-sensitive opportunities, about $17 million from the 2018 3M Settlement will be funding expedited projects that are consistent with the settlement’s top priority — ensuring safe and sustainable drinking water for communities in the East Metropolitan Area.
Applications were accepted through May 25, 2019, and were open to everyone, including individuals, for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public entities including the state, tribes, counties, cities, schools, and higher education institutions. Co-trustees for the 3M PFC Settlement — the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) — along with the Minnesota Department of Health evaluated all the proposals. The work groups also provided input on the projects in order to help the Co-Trustees make informed funding decisions. Once the projects were evaluated, the DNR and MPCA made the final decisions on which projects would move forward.
Under Minnesota Data Practices Act, funding decisions are not public information until all grant agreements are signed and executed. All the approved grant agreements have been signed and executed. The following list are those projects being funded:
|
Applicant |
Project |
Amount funded |
|
City of Cottage Grove |
The city will extend the water main in the River Acres neighborhood to connect 123 homes to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$8,800,000 |
|
City of Cottage Grove |
The city will connect 36 homes in the Granada Avenue neighborhood to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$2,250,000 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend a municipal water supply system to 65 homes located in the Stonegate 1st and 2nd addition neighborhoods. |
$4,384,300 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend a municipal water supply system to six homes located just east of 31st Street and south of Stillwater Boulevard. |
$549,100 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend a municipal water supply system to 41 homes located in the Hamlet on Sunfish Lake neighborhood. |
$2,712,200 |
|
City of Oakdale |
The city will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate treatment locations for its four city wells that received well advisories. The study will determine if there is sufficient space for a temporary or permanent treatment facility at the well location or at a centralized location. |
$20,000 |
|
City of Woodbury |
The city will conduct a feasibility study to better understand the city’s existing water supply distribution as it relates to PFAS contamination. |
$96,069 |
|
Washington County |
The county will administer and oversee a program to seal PFAS-impacted wells located in the East Metropolitan Area. |
$150,000 |
|
|
Total funded |
$18,961,669 |
Applicants
The Co-Trustees are reviewed the project applications based on the eligibility criteria that were developed through the work groups.
List of all applicants:
- City of Cottage Grove: Two applications totaling $9,083,006
- City of Lake Elmo: Four applications totaling $5,826,400
- City of Oakdale: One application totaling $142,500
- City of Woodbury: Three applications totaling $6,043,634
- Prairie Island Indian Community: One application totaling $53,475
- Washington County: One application totaling $150,000
- Church of Christ – Woodbury: One application totaling $380,000
- Commercial Development Fund: One application totaling $739
- St. Croix Montessori School: One application totaling $33,615
- St. Croix Water Solutions: One application totaling $5,000,000
- James Blackford: One application totaling $110,000
- Julie and Gary LaValle: One application totaling $35,000
Request for funding projects
Additional projects involving drinking water line installation were considered for grant funding to leverage planned road construction/improvement work occurring in 2021 or 2022 (see the Request for Funding). While the Conceptual Drinking Water Supply Plan (Conceptual Plan) will likely include these projects as part of the long-term solution, the Conceptual Plan may not be completed in time to allow communities to incorporate them into their planned roadwork for 2021/2022.
Applications for the Request for project funding were accepted through July 10, 2020 and were open to the 14 regional/local/tribal government entities from the communities currently known to be affected by PFAS contamination in the East Metropolitan Area. The Co-Trustees evaluated all the proposals and work group members provided input to the Co-Trustees on the projects in order to help make informed funding decisions. Once the projects were evaluated, the DNR and MPCA made the final decisions on which projects would move forward.
Eligible projects included drinking water projects in the East Metropolitan Area that meet all of the following factors:
- Extends water mains to connect PFAS-impacted residences on private or non-community public supply wells to a community’s existing public water system
- Leverages a road construction/improvement project planned for/approved by a city council for 2021 or 2022
- Is consistent with the expedited eligibility criteria (see the Expedited Project Eligibility document dated 4/2/2019)
- Is consistent with Priority 1 of the Agreement (see the Minnesota vs 3M Company Agreement)
Under Minnesota Data Practices Act, funding decisions are not public information until all grant agreements are signed and executed. All the approved grant agreements have been signed and executed. The following list are those projects being funded:
|
Applicant |
Project |
Amount funded |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend the water main to connect 48 homes in the Bordners Garner Farmettes subdivision along 38th Street, 39th Street, and Innsdale Avenue to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$3,984,000 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend the water main to connect 61 homes in the Parkview Estates, Cardinal Ridge, and Cardinal View subdivisions to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$5,200,000 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend the water main to connect 23 homes in the Torres Pines subdivision to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$2,219,000 |
|
City of Lake Elmo |
The city will extend the water main to connect 37 homes and seven platted properties in the Whistling Valley subdivision to the city’s municipal drinking water supply system. |
$3,660,000 |
|
|
Total funded |
$15,063,000 |
Applicants
The Co-Trustees reviewed the project applications based on the eligibility criteria described above.
List of all applicants:
- City of Lake Elmo: Four applications totaling $14,982,200
- City of Woodbury: Five applications totaling $11,173,334
- City of Lakeland: One application totaling $8,504,000