EPA Pushes Minnesota Over Exempting Taconite Firms From Wild Rice Rules

"Taconite pollution rules under federal scrutiny. "

"The MPCA proposed varying sulfate levels for wild rice based on where it grows, instead of reducing sulfate pollution to a set amount.

A contentious fight over mining and its effect on wild rice has reached new heights, thanks to a recent federal investigation.

The Environmental Protection Agency says that the state's refusal to enforce a decades-old pollution rule could undermine its authority to enforce the Clean Water Act in Minnesota."

Josephine Marcotty reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune July 18, 2016.