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Metropolitan Council Working for the Region, Planning for the Future mom Environmental Services June 25, 1998 Mr.Michael Morrison City Manager Saint Anthony Village 3301 Silver Lake Road St.Anthony,Minnesota 55418-1699 RE: Saint Anthony Comprehensive Plan Update Adoption of Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance Metropolitan Council District 10 Metropolitan Council Referral File No. 15700-8 Dear Mr.Morrison: Metropolitan Council staff provided review comments on the Saint Anthony Village comprehensive plan update in a March 5, 1998 letter. The staff review concluded.that the plan was incomplete and identified issues that needed to be resolved before the Council would be able to complete it's review of the plan. One of the issues is the need for Saint Anthony to adopt and implement an erosion and sediment control ordinance consistent with the Council's Interim Strategy to Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution (strategy). The Council adopted the interim strategy in July of 1992,as an interim step in achieving water quality goals set by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)and the Minnesota Pollution Control. Agency(MPCA)in 1990 to reduce ronpoint source pollution in the Minnesota River by 40 percent from pre-1980 levels. The two agencies set 1996 as the target date to achieve the goal.The Council realized that to accomplish this goal,standard land development and agricultural practices would need to be altered to restrict nonpoint source pollutants from entering area water bodies. The strategy incorporates basic water quality management practices that will improve the water quality of. area water bodies. The Council initially developed the strategy for communities within the Minnesota River basin where the most acute cases of water quality degradation due to nonpoint source pollution occur. However,during the public participation process of developing the strategy,it became clear that all water bodies in the seven county area are impacted to some degree by human activities,both urban and rural,and in November of 1992 the strategy was modified by the Council to apply to all local governments within the seven county area.. Council staff is committed to working with watershed management organizations(WMOs)and local governments through the planning process outlined in Minnesota Statutes,section 103B.201. The Council also recognizes its responsibility to prepare and adopt a water resources plan that includes rrlanagement objectives and target pollution loads for watersheds in the metropolitan area pursuant to Minnesota Statutes,section 473.157. We.realized in 1992 it would take several years for the Council, WMOs,and local governments to prepare and implement these plans,but that immediate action was needed to reduce the impacts of nonpoint source pollution on area water bodies. As part of local planning efforts,measures will need to be adopted to implement nonpoint source pollution reduction strategies. Existing Capital Improvement Programs and local regulations need to be amended to ensure the financing is available for long-term management and maintenance of ponds and wetlands receiving stormwater runoff.