By: Allison Kronberg
Wild rice is a delicate plant, valuable to those who harvest it, and a habitat for much wildlife, but Minnesota’s state grain is stirring up debate at the state Capitol.
Though water quality standards to protect wild rice were established almost half a century ago, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency only began consistently enforcing them six years ago. Now, those regulations are frustrating iron and copper-nickel mining operations that have to filter their wastewater, which could cost billions of dollars.