Climate change, industry, parks, air and water quality are issues that are debated in congress, compete for funding and enpassion many Minnesotans.
March 4, 1974 - Priority for agricultural gasoline over consumers. For limited gas supply agriculture is the most preferred customer in the United States. Agriculture gets gas first, they get 100 percent of their requirements, they are the top priority and motorists generally come out on the bottom, as the individual with the least priority.
April 25, 1974 - An Earth Week interview with Campfire Girls in Eagan Township, Minnesota, who have chosen to study the timber wolf. The children share their wolf knowledge.
May 30, 1974 - MPR’s Greg Barron presents an introduction to the history of thunderstorm and tornadoes in Minnesota. Barron interviews numerous officials from the National Weather Service about 1970s era forecasting.
June 10, 1974 - MPR’s Greg Barron interviews a Minnesota farmer about weather effects on crops. Although some areas of Minnesota have responded well to wet weather, spring planting might be delayed because of the wet weather. Wheat, barley, oat and flax are the main crops effected by the weather.
September 16, 1974 - Three utility companies are proposing the building of 12 coal and gassification plants in North Dakota. In response, law students of the University of North Dakota held a symposium on the possible effects of coal development in the state. Professors Larry Lystrom of N.D. and Dennis Binder of Ohio Northern University spoke.
September 19, 1974 - Reserve Mining has hired five engineering consulting firms to evaluate propsals for alteration of the present tailings disposal method (dumping the tailings directly into Lake Superior). Land methods will be examined.
September 19, 1974 - Taconite tailings have been dumped into Silver Bay by Reserve Mining since the 1950s. The company claims it is an environmentally sound method. However, in 1970 Reserve was taken to court by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Minnesota District Court Judge Luther Eckman sided with Reserve, but ordered them to modify their dumping methods.
September 19, 1974 - Reserve Mining contends there are environmental and engineering problems to changing taconite dumping from water to land. EPC Regional Director John Pegors counters that other mining companies have found ways to safely dispose of tailings on land. Lax Lake residents, who live near the proposed dumping site, are opposed to land tailing operations.
September 19, 1974 - Judge Lord says Reserve Mining should cease operations at Peter Mitchell pit and begin taking ore from a different mine not containing taconite.
October 4, 1974 - Committee on shade tree disease and local advocates discuss necessity of removal of diseased shade trees and awareness of shade tree diseases. Also discussed is process for disposing of affected elm and oak trees.