November 4, 1974 - Dr. Hank Pittman of the Atomic Energy Commission, says plutonian must be kept for hundreds of thousands of years before it becomes nonharmful to humans. How to dispose of such nuclear waste presents great challenges. Pittman recommends storing waste in deep geological salt formations. Carlsbad, New Mexico, has such formations. The nuclear waste would be transported there in containers designed to withstand fire, water and impact.
November 7, 1974 - Three year debate over whether or not to install new coal terminal on Mississippi river at Pig's Eye Lake was ended with the report from D.D. Wozniak, an officer with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, who stated that the planned facility would result in an unhealthy amount of environmental degradation.
November 8, 1974 - MPR’s Dick Daly reports a hearing on lake water use held in Duluth. All the Great Lakes have had too much water in recent years and high water and strong winds have eroded shorelines and caused flooding. Lake Superior water levels are held artificially high by the IJC, a US joint commission with Canada.
November 12, 1974 - The EQC gave the go ahead with exploration of copper mining in Babbitt. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency opposed the project. 5,000 tons of copper nickle ore is slatted to be removed.
November 12, 1974 - Overriding impressions from the morning session, is that the EQC technical committee is creating a watchdog agency on pesticides made of the heads of state agencies. The CAC was against having the heads of state agencies on the committee and said that it was a conflict of interest. However, they were overruled. The committee discussed a proposal to have a skeet shooting area in White Bear Lake. Dr. Steve Chapman claims that an EIS ought to be required and that trees in the area are already damaged. Lead would seep from the swamp into the local area. Jack Wallace, from the local gun club, states that a special ordinance was created so that they could go in and buy the property so that they could put in a shooting range.
November 12, 1974 - Opposition to granting of 40 year license to the Monticello nuclear power plant. If the plant will continue to release waste, then they will not receive a license. Operators of the facility need to be within the public health guidelines. The PCA is creating qualitative language to set the guidelines.
November 28, 1974 - The DNR has begun the process of giving the Kettle River in northern Minnesota scenic and wild rivers protection. It will likely be a lengthy and divisive process. At a public planning hearing DNR Commissioner Bob Herbst explains how the draft plan will be a model and standard for natural resource preservation in Minnesota. The plan cannot be imposed on residents against their will; land owners must be willing to sell property or scenic easements. DNR staffer Mike Pressness explains scenic easements. Sen. Florian Chemeliewski remembers the initial Minnesota Wild and Scenic Rivers Act proposal and tells how he fought successfully to remove eminent domain, keep final approval with local government and protect land owner and farmer rights. Pine City's zoning administrator Ward Blake says this program will be controversial and more difficult to enforce than regular shoreline regulations.
March 11, 1975 - The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce sponsored the 29th annual Farm Forum, bringing together about 2000 Upper Midwest farmers and representatives of agribusiness to participate in panel discussions and hear from a variety of experts on national and international agricultural issues. One of the major addresses heard at that forum was by Dr. James D. McQuigg, an authority on world weather patterns and Director of the University of Missouri's Center for Climate and Environmental Assessment.
May 7, 1975 - The destruction and transport of a Missouri company's cache of the dangerous chemical Dioxin is discussed here. Debate concerns how and where to destroy the substance, and that a company located in Minnesota may be able to handle the process. The chemical cache in question had been linked to human and animal contamination when it was mixed with tar and spread on Missouri roads.
May 9, 1975 - Greg Barron talks about his attempt to get information from the governor?s office. He says Governor Anderson prefers the Latch Lake site for Reserve Mining. Greg talks about the Environmental Policy Act. The Attorney General has sent a memo advising the governor against holding public hearings on technical feasibility on Latch Lake site until environmental impact statement, then hearings will start. EIS will analyze alternative sites, and rules about what sites must be chosen. Discussion of railroading the decision. This is the first breach between the attorney general and governor office, lawsuit may follow,