Plain English Breakdown
The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.
HF3394 • 2026
Well testing provided to establish baseline groundwater quality before certain construction.
Well testing provided to establish baseline groundwater quality before certain construction.
Water
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Bill History
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2026-02-17
House
Introduction and first reading, referred to Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Official Summary Text
Well testing provided to establish baseline groundwater quality before certain construction.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
A bill for an act relating to environment; providing for well testing to establish baseline groundwater quality before certain construction; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103H. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. new text begin [103H.176] WELL TESTING IN RURAL AREAS. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Definitions. new text end new text begin For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given: new text end new text begin (1) "landowner" means: new text end new text begin (i) the landowner where a private well is located; new text end new text begin (ii) a landowner's lessee if the lessee uses the private well; or new text end new text begin (iii) the operator of a public well; new text end new text begin (2) "project" means a project in a rural area that is required to prepare an environmental assessment worksheet under Minnesota Rules, part 4410.4300; and new text end new text begin (3) "rural area" means an area of the state not included within the boundaries of a statutory city or home rule charter city. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Testing requirement. new text end new text begin (a) Before construction begins for a project, the project owner or operator must provide testing for water-supply wells according to this section to establish a baseline for groundwater quality in the area of the project. new text end new text begin (b) The project owner or operator must contract with an independent third party to collect well samples and submit the samples for analysis at a laboratory accredited by the Department of Health. new text end new text begin (c) The project owner or operator must obtain landowner consent before sampling a well. Samples must be collected from all wells located within a two-mile radius of the proposed project, except that a well need not be sampled if the landowner does not consent to sampling. The landowner must be given access, free of charge, to the test results for the landowner's well. new text end new text begin (d) The third-party contractor under paragraph (b) must submit the results of the well testing to the Environmental Quality Board, which must maintain results in a database as provided in section 103H.175, and to the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office. new text end