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Cities press committee for bonding help after PFAS detections; Hastings, Stillwater and Oak Park Heights seek state support
Summary
Officials from Hastings, Stillwater and Oak Park Heights told the Capital Investment Committee they need state help to respond to PFAS detections in municipal wells and requested bonding dollars for treatment systems and design work.
Several municipal officials described PFAS detections in their water systems and requested state assistance to design and build treatment systems.
Hastings Mayor Mary Fassbender said PFAS were present in all six of the city’s wells and that the city is "shovel ready" for a project. Representative Tom DePel presented a member‑sponsored request seeking $16,600,000 toward an estimated total project need of roughly $68,900,000; Hastings officials said prior grants reduced the required local share but significant funding gaps remain and that without outside funds residential water rates could increase substantially.
Stillwater Mayor Jed Kozlowski and City Administrator Joel Coleman described six impacted wells (of eight total) and said treatment estimates are about $10 million per well; the city put a $40 million request before the committee and said phasing is possible to treat the highest‑producing wells first. Coleman said the city’s existing debt and small staff capacity make it difficult to finance a full treatment program locally.
Oak Park Heights Councilmember Mike Liljegren and city officials said PFAS has been detected in the municipal supply and asked for $1,550,000 in bonding to advance design and engineering work for a treatment plant; the city said it has secured feasibility study funding and seeks state help to move to design.
Members noted the 3M settlements and related state and national actions but said the Attorney General’s office had scheduling constraints and would present to the committee at a later date. Lawmakers and local officials emphasized the financial hardship that large capital costs pose for small communities and urged coordination of state, federal and local resources.
