May 19, 1998 - The environmental safety of the Koch Refinery is in question again. Concerns about possible health risks from air emmissions from the refinery have delayed the company's request for a new air quality permit. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency citizens board plans to take a second look at a massive study that assured local citizens the air around Koch's Rosemount refinery was safe to breathe. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports. Koch Refining Company's request for a new, flexible air quality permit had already been under intense scrutiny because of the company's poor environmental track record. The permit could allow Koch t
May 19, 1998 - The reaction to news of a compromise on the BWCAW worked out between U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar and Bruce Vento has been swift... and mixed. Oberstar's proposal to allow trucks on two wilderness portages has been entered into the transportation bill now under consideration by a Congressional Conference Committee. It has Vento's reluctant support after the addition of a provision removing some lakes from motor access.
May 20, 1998 - In observance of B-BOP Day, when commuters are encouraged to find a way to get to work without driving alone in a car, Gary Eichten talks with Bob McFarlin and John Lundell about highway congestion and what the future holds. McFarlin and Lundell also answer listener questions. Program begins with an interview with Trish Moga, Manager of Metro Commuter Services, about B-Bop Day.
May 20, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports that leading environmentalists are vowing to fight a proposal that would return trucks to two boat portages in Northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
May 20, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on Obertstar-Vento compromise over motor use in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildnerness. Northern Minnesotans hope the compromise will settle long standing disputes over the region. Congressman Jim Oberstar's proposal to allow trucks on two wilderness portages has been entered into the transportation bill now under consideration by a Congresional Conference Committee. It has Congressman Bruce Vento's reluctant support after the addition of a provision removing some lakes from motor access.
May 21, 1998 - More than 125 Native American tribes from across the nation are represented at a tribal environmental conference underway at the Prairie Island Dakota Community. One session addressed a key issue facing Prairie Island and other tribes - the storage of nuclear waste on or near their lands. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... One Prairie Island official says the most ominous issue facing the tribe is its nuclear neighbor. Northern States Power Company's Prairie Island plant sits less than a mile away from the reservation, along with its seven dry casks storing spent nuclear fuel. Whether tribes should accept nuclear waste for storage has been hotly debated across the country - Robert Hold
May 25, 1998 - The Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota is celebrating its 90th anniversary this weekend. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson takes a look at the history of the forest, and why thousands of visitors come back year after year. Teddy Roosevelt was in his seventh year in office when the Chippewa National Forest was established in 1908, the first national forest reserve established east of the Mississippi River. It followed a heated debate between the logging industry, eager to harvest the timber, and a growing number of conservationists who believed strongly in setting the lands aside. With the help of the Minnesota Federation of Womens Clubs, the conservationists were victorious in establishing what was then known as the Minnesota National Forest.
May 26, 1998 - The federal government has awarded more than $21 million dollars to the city of Minneapolis for housing and community development. Federal officials say Minneapolis is an example of what they want cities to do to get federal housing money. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports.
May 28, 1998 - Minnesota is one of the few places without complaints against El Nino. The mysterious change in the weather has brought us a mild, sunny spring and staved off the humidity of summer. Commentator Wendy Knox says that the fabulous weather makes her think of cows. Wendy Knox is the artistic director of the Frank Theater and a gardening enthusiast. Sun 28-MAY 11:03:53 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
May 28, 1998 - A local company has come up with a new method for washing food that it hopes will significantly reduce food-borne illness. St. Paul-based Ecolab president and CEO Al Schumann says washing fruits and vegetables with periocidic acid kills more germs on fruits and vegetables than the usual chlorine wash. Ecolab president and CEO Al Schumann. Ecolab says the periocidic acid poses no threat to consumers and isn't harmful to the environment. Sun 28-MAY 11:03:01 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001