9. DNR Allowed Dangerous Dewatering
Issue: Powerful companies and industries have been allowed to use Minnesota’s groundwater and aquifers with few restrictions. If they plan to pump substantial amounts of water, they need to get a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) permit to dewater. Two examples follow.
Problems: “During the 2021 drought, nearly 800 Minnesota farmers with high-capacity wells pumped 6.5 billion more gallons of water than their permits allowed,” the Star Tribune reported last year. The biggest violator was potato grower R.D. Offutt Co., one of the state’s biggest water users. It accounted for 23 percent of the excess dewatering. Agriculture in general was responsible for 75 percent of excess dewatering. It stressed “already depleted aquifers, lakes and streams and raised the risk that neighboring wells would run dry.” However, agricultural interests “are unlikely to face fines or other consequences because of laws that the DNR says are too lenient,” reported the Star Tribune. Weak laws are a sign of corporate/polluter influence. This past legislative session, the State Legislature passed tougher penalties for those who exceed their dewatering permits.
Enbridge Energy sought a DNR permit to dewater 500 million gallons of water. The Line 3/93 replacement was built through 78 miles of wetlands and other areas with high water tables. It needed to pump a lot of water out of the trenches so workers would have a relatively dry working space. After two months, Enbridge sought to amend its permit to dewater 5 billion gallons — a ten-fold increase — which the DNR approved with no public notice. A DNR section manager said they approved such a large dewatering increase to make sure Enbridge didn’t need to come back to request another amendment. The DNR said Enbridge ultimately dewatered 1 billion gallons, which comes to dewatering 3 million gallons per mile. That was during a drought, when the need should have been less. The state did not require a study on the environmental impact of pumping so much water in a short period of time.
Links:
Fighting drought, potato farmers in northern Minnesota overdrew their water permits by tens of millions of gallons, Star Tribune, Feb. 18, 2023
Lawmakers approve tougher enforcement, penalties for water permit violators, MPR, May 24, 2023
Line 3 foes worry increased pumping could threaten Minn. water, MPR, June 24, 2021