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STUDY FINDS INCONSISTENCIES IN MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PRACTICES
North Star Chapter of Sierra Club Releases Survey with Recommendations to Improve Environmental Review Process in Minnesota
January 12, 2004 Minneapolis, MN - The North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club announced today it has released a survey (pdf, 366k) examining the environmental review process in Minnesota. The survey reveals inconsistencies and possible conflicts of interest within the governmental units that are responsible for these reviews. The environmental review process provides information on the potential environmental impacts of a project before approvals or permits are issued.
There are times when the process works extremely well, says Heather Cusick, Conservation Director for the North Star Chapter. However, weve found several instances in which relevant environmental data or significant concerns are ignored to smooth the way for project approval.
Some sources remarked being startled by the number of inconsistencies between different environmental reviews. The survey uncovered instances in which responsible governmental units publicly made comments in favor of projects before an environmental review was completed. In other cases, local plans and relevant environmental information were not taken into consideration during reviews.
The survey also recommends improvements to the current review process to remove bias. Right now, governmental units responsible for approving projects are also responsible for environmental review, a clear conflict of interest.