DATE:           March 24, 2023
                      For Immediate Release

CONTACT:  Haley Foster
                     (763) 295-2711 | Haley.Foster@ci.monticello.mn.us

Statement from the Mayor on the Xcel Energy Shutdown of the Monticello Nuclear Plant

The safety of Monticello’s residents has been and continues to be our number one priority. We are glad Xcel Energy was closely monitoring the situation and decided to shut down the plant to make permanent repairs immediately to address the recurring issue of water containing tritium leaking from the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant.  

City Staff have spoken with Xcel Energy and learned that it was discovered yesterday that the temporary patch on the pipe at the Monticello Plant began leaking again. Xcel Energy is following protocols and submitted a notice to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the State of Minnesota. Those notices will be posted as a secondary leak alert; however, Xcel Energy officials want to emphasize to the Monticello community that this is not a new leak in a new location on the plant, but the existing leak location. They would also like to note that this leak did not leave their facility’s property and merged in the same area as the existing tritium water accumulation.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) says, “State agencies have no evidence at this point to indicate a current or imminent risk to the public and will continue to monitor groundwater samples. Should an imminent risk arise, we will inform the public promptly. The MPCA and the Minnesota Department of Health will continue to review Xcel’s response to the groundwater contamination and oversee the recovery, storage, and disposal of the impacted groundwater.”

The public water system operated by the City of Monticello has been unaffected by the leak at Xcel. The leak occurred outside of Monticello’s Wellhead Protection Area, the specific area surrounding our public water supply that contributes groundwater to municipal wells. We will continue to monitor the situation and are testing the municipal water supply as a precaution.

If residents would like to know more about the situation, Xcel Energy and staff from the State of Minnesota will be hosting informational open houses for the Monticello community on Friday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday, March 27 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Bridge Room at the Monticello Community Center. 

The public is invited to stop by whenever they’re available during the scheduled times, get their questions answered, and learn more about the resources available for our community. If you have any questions about the open houses, please visit Xcel Energy’s Contact Us page.

- Mayor Lloyd Hilgart

Monticello Moves Forward with Water Treatment Facility Plans

Monticello’s City Engineer and Public Works Director, Matt Leonard has been busy representing the City at the Minnesota Capitol, testifying for funding support to construct a water treatment facility.

On Tuesday, March 7 Leonard testified before the Senate Capital Improvement Committee in support of the funding outlined in bill SF 501 (Anderson), introduced by Sen. Bill Anderson (R-Buffalo) in January 2023.

The next day Leonard testified before the MN House of Representative’s Committee on Capital Investment. Leonard was supported by Rep. Marion O’Neill (R-Maple Lake), who introduced HF 746 (O’Neill) in January 2023.

Both bills seek $22 million for construction of a water treatment plant in Monticello and related water utility infrastructure to accompany the plant. The City is also seeking a $10 million grant from the federal congressionally directed spending. This request has been sent to Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), and Congressman Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota).

Leonard was given 3 minutes to testify about the community and why we are seeking a water treatment plant. One of the primary reasons for the construction of a plant is the high levels of manganese in our drinking water.

About Manganese in Drinking Water

Manganese occurs naturally in drinking water and is found in rocks and soil. People need some to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful.

Scientists are still learning about the impacts of high levels of manganese in drinking water. Regulating agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continue to collect data to determine if future regulations are needed.

More attention was brought to manganese with the Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4). As part of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, every 5 years the EPA is required to issue a list of up to 30 unregulated contaminates that must be monitored by public water systems.

Manganese was included as one of the contaminates monitored between 2018 and 2020. The monitoring is intended to provide the basis for future actions to protect public health. The City of Monticello participated because we are a public water supply system serving a population greater than 10,000. 

In 2018 the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) developed guidance levels for manganese in drinking water. However, public water systems are not required to meet these guidelines, and they are not required to treat drinking water for manganese since it is not a primary drinking water standard.

Based on ongoing testing, the City’s municipal water supply still meets all Safe Drinking Water Act standards, but the levels of manganese are higher than MDH’s guidance.

Since learning of the manganese levels in 2018, the City of Monticello has been actively working with the Minnesota Department of Health and other experts to pursue effective short and long-term options to reduce manganese levels.

What is the City Doing to Reduce Manganese in Drinking Water?

First, the City took the initial step to reduce manganese in drinking water by limiting the use of wells with higher levels.

In addition, we’ve provided public outreach to help educate the public about options to reduce manganese levels in individual households (please see additional info below). Our website, annual city newsletters, utility bill inserts, and annual water report all contain helpful information about manganese for our residents.

We encourage residents to use any of the options available, and we also take seriously our responsibility to find a citywide mitigation strategy. Based on a feasibility study, the best option is to construct a water treatment plant. The City intends to build the facility on a city-owned Chelsea Road parcel where there’s an existing well house and a 760,000 gallon below ground water reservoir. The estimated cost to construct a water treatment facility is $28 million.

Now, the City is seeking funding assistance for the facility, so the city isn’t relying only on local rate payers. Leonard noted in his testimony that equitable water treatment is at the forefront of this project. The City is prepared to invest funds in construction as well as ongoing operations and maintenance, but state funding assistance is vital to bringing this project to life as quickly as possible.

What Can Residents do to Reduce Manganese?

There are several options for filtering manganese out of your drinking water. Certain types of home water treatment devices remove or reduce manganese:

• A carbon filter
• Distilled water or a distillation system
• A reverse osmosis water system
• A water filtration system
• A water softener

Looking for more information?

• Helpful information about residential options for reducing manganese is available in this Minnesota Department of Health Handout and on our website: www.ci.monticello.mn.us/224/Manganese-in-Drinking-Water
• Also, the City’s Utility Department continues to regularly test our municipal water system to ensure levels meet the Safe Drinking Water Act standards. This information can be found in our Annual Water Reports which are shared each year in a utility bill and can be found on our website: www.ci.monticello.mn.us/204/Annual-Water-Reports

New Senior Housing Coming to Monticello

On Monday, Jan. 9 Mayor Hilgart and city staff joined Headwaters Development and CHC (Community Housing Corporation) for the groundbreaking of their new project in Monticello: 60 rental townhomes for seniors 55+ located on 7^th Street West!

The project was initiated by Headwaters Development, and in November 2022 the company asked the Monticello Economic Development Authority (EDA) to approve CHC as a full partner-owner in the development. The development site is located on the easterly portion of a land parcel formerly known as Outlot A, Country Club Manor, at the corner of Golf Course Road and 7th Street West. The EDA has owned this 16.71-acre property for many years.

 The EDA also approved a newly established affordable housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district (No. 1-43). As a requirement, the developer has committed to creating and maintaining 40 percent of the units (24 units) as affordable throughout the life of the TIF District. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $20.5 million or $341,667 per unit.

The developer is using a modular style construction method. All building components are measured, fabricated, and assembled in the climate-controlled AVA (Advanced Volumetric Alliance) facility in Albertville, MN. The full building component units will be delivered to the site starting late March 2023 to be placed on the concrete pads. The developer plans to substantially complete construction of the twin home development by December 31, 2023.

The developer of this project also intends to move forward with a 102-unit multi-family housing building exclusively for seniors on the northerly portion of the lot later in 2023.   

We're excited to welcome another housing option for our senior community!