Why don't Minnesota's trout streams have a sulfate standard?

If one is to judge based on historic reports, once a water body has been sufficiently polluted for long enough, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency [MPCA] is willing to consider reclassifying some existing "use classification" for that water body as unattainable. At least, that is how it appears in the case of the Dark River in northern Minnesota. At the moment, the Dark River is designated as Class 1B (drinking water), 2A (aquatic life and recreation), Class 3 (industrial consumption), and Class 4A (agricultural irrigation), Class 4B (use by livestock and wildlife without inhibition or injurious effects), Class 5 (aesthetic enjoyment and navigation) and Class 6 (other designated public uses and benefits). The Classes with strikethrough, 1B, 3, and 4A would be eliminated and Classes 2A (aquatic life and recreation), 4B (use by livestock and wildlife without inhibition or injurious effects), 5 (aesthetic enjoyment and navigation),  and 6 (other designated public uses and benefits) designated uses will remain unchanged if a petition is granted.

The petition has been submitted by US Steel Corp. Consequently, MPCA is may permit continuing pollution of the Dark River by "considering removing the uses based on the fact that the uses do not currently exist and are also not reasonably expected to be attainable uses in the future." We're not sure how you may feel about it but we see this type of response from a regulatory agency as akin to rewarding bad behavior instead of enforcing existing standards. If you've ever raised children given to tantrums, you'll understand.

a trout stream in the North Country

Photo by J. Harrington

The Timberjay noted several years ago that "discharge from the Minntac tailings basin that has increased the sulfate levels in Sandy Lake and the Sand River,..." has had negative consequences for water quality and wild rice beds in those waters.

Additional background on these issues, and a clear indication of the location of the Dark River, can be found in this MinnPost article, also from 2015 (Despite pressure to lower Minntac sulfate emissions, status quo could last awhile).

Here's some of our preliminary thoughts on the proposed elimination of three designated uses for the Dark River:

1. Jim Humphrey and Bill Shogren, in their “Fly-Angler’s Guide” reference a Trout Unlimited chapter report that refers to the Dark River as “the premier trout stream north of Chisolm.” (Some research seems to indicate that sulfates can cause problems for fish, especially trout.)

2. Given the state of information via MPCA and MnDNR, it’s difficult to impossible to ascertain which, if any, downstream resources might be negatively affected by the proposed change. The precautionary principle suggests that’s a good reason to not support any change.

3. The MPCA reports that it has "Insufficient data for use assessment” regarding aquatic life. This represents another reason to oppose reclassification. Lack of information isn't a good reason to assume non-existence.

4. Finally, for now, it’s unclear what MPCA's proposed “use and value demonstration” represents, whether it’s the same as a use attainability analysis and how it may adversely affect protection of the resource since the 2A (trout stream) classification doesn’t include any sulfate standard that we could find and MPCA has been working for several years to revise the existing water quality standard for sulfate to protect wild rice.

The Peace of Wild Things

Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

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