MPCA Issues Legislative Report On Paying For PFAS Removal From Drinking Water And Wastewater

In January 2025, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released the "PFAS removal report" (2025 report or the Report) which focuses on strategies to manage per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in drinking water and wastewater in Minnesota. The Report, which was mandated by 2024 Session Law, Chapter 116, Article 2, Sec. 29, expands on the work described in the published report "Fee collection options for PFAS manufacturers in Minnesota" (2024 report).

The Report recommends identifying a fee revenue target, either a specific dollar amount or list of recommended strategies to be covered by the fee revenue, then developing a process to assign a fee by splitting it up amongst the universe of fee payers (i.e. PFAS manufacturers, users and releasers), rather than setting a specific fee structure in statute. The fee could be paid equally regardless of how much PFAS is manufactured, used, or released,