Environmental Quality Board adopts 2025 Groundwater Policy Report, highlights nitrate, PFAS and monitoring gaps

The Environmental Quality Board voted to adopt its 2025 Groundwater Policy Report, a multi-agency compilation required by statute that summarizes groundwater monitoring, threats, agency roles and opportunities for coordination.

Executive Director Catherine Duschler presented the report and told the board it was produced under Minnesota Statutes section 103A (the transcript referred to the statute as 103A), with three required appendices attached: an assessment of water quality trends and prevention, a groundwater monitoring status report, and a water availability assessment. Duschler described the report as focused on coordination and information-sharing among state agencies, local governments and stakeholders.

Key findings and focus areas: the report sets an overarching goal that Minnesotans have equitable access to and sustainable use of groundwater. It highlights longstanding and emerging threats, with sections on nitrate, PFAS, pesticides and chloride, and a new focus on geogenic (naturally occurring) contaminants such as arsenic, manganese and lithium. Duschler and other agency speakers noted that nitrate remains a high-priority issue in many parts of Minnesota and that PFAS has moved from an emerging issue to a driver of program work. The report calls for continued expansion of monitoring, geologic atlas completion, improved data synthesis for aquifer-scale characterization and increased implementation capacity.

Funding and coordination: the report credits funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment (noting the funding stream continues through 2034) with supporting many advances but lists reauthorization and continued funding as a critical need. It also highlights multiple coordination structures among agencies and calls for improved communication, data access for local planners, and attention to equity and small systems, private wells and disproportionately exposed communities.

Public comment and board discussion: During a public comment period the board heard from multiple commenters. Alan Mueller (Red Wing resident) urged protection of environmental review and cautioned about shifts to PUC oversight. Attorney Carol Oberlin raised concerns about a wave of proposed high-voltage projects and the potential loss of iterative public participation if more reviews move to environmental-assessment-type processes. Board members highlighted user-friendliness, the need to avoid duplicative guidance, and the need to ensure local governments and stakeholders feel represented in statewide reports.

Action and implementation: Commissioner Brooke Cunningham moved to adopt the report; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call (the roll call recorded the approval of a majority of members present; the board directed the executive director to make editorial, formatting and design changes and to submit the report to the legislature by the statutory due date). Duschler said the final report will be published on the EQB website and that staff will pursue outreach opportunities after submission.

Ending: The report and the attached appendices will be submitted to the legislature and published online; staff thanked the many agency contributors who prepared the multi-agency work.