The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is hosting community listening sessions around the state on the Volkswagen settlement.
These meetings will be an opportunity for community members to share their priorities and dive a bit deeper on some of the key issues for Minnesotans.
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are co-hosting events in Bemidji and Cloquet, respectively. At these meetings, Tribal government representatives will share what the settlement means for Tribes and listen to community priorities for Tribal funds.
Listening sessions will be held 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
- 11/28/2017: Co-hosted with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, The Commons, 2101 14th St., Cloquet, MN
(Facebook event here)
- 11/29/2017: Co-hosted with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe – Bemidji State University, American Indian Resource Center, 1500 Birchmont Dr. NE, Bemidji, MN
(Facebook event here)
The listening sessions will provide background information on the VW settlement and what it means for Minnesotans. Most of the time will be dedicated to community conversations on what matters to participants and how they would like to see the funds spent to benefit their community.
As we develop the state’s plan, we are committed to understanding and including the input of Minnesotans. We hope you will join us for a conversation about what matters most to you! And please help spread the word!
Timeline
On November 6, 2017, the MPCA submitted paperwork to officially become eligible to receive Minnesota’s $47 million allocation. The courts and Trustee have until February 1, 2018 to formally notify the MPCA that they have been approved to receive the funds. Minnesota has followed all the necessary steps, so should be approved without a problem.
The MPCA had planned to release a draft Beneficiary Mitigation Plan this fall. In order to get additional input from Minnesotans, we are delaying the development of the plan. Stay tuned for timeline updates.
The Beneficiary Mitigation Plan is required by the settlement and will outline Minnesota’s goals and priorities for the settlement funds. The plan will also guide future requests for funding proposals. Learn more on the MPCA website.
Other ways to get involved
Can’t come to a meeting? We re-opened our survey to let you dive into some of the details of the settlement that we’ll be discussing at the upcoming meetings. Take it here. You can also let the MPCA know what matters to you by sending your comments to vwsettlement.pca@state.mn.us.
