Well testing provided to establish baseline groundwater quality before certain construction.

HF 3394 requires project owners in rural Minnesota (outside cities) to conduct baseline groundwater testing before construction begins for projects needing an environmental assessment. Specifically, project owners must hire an independent third party to test water-supply wells within two miles of the project site, but only with the landowner's consent for each well. Landowners must receive free access to test results for their wells. The testing data must be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board and Minnesota Geospatial Information Office for public database storage. This bill directly affects rural construction projects and nearby well owners by establishing pre-construction groundwater quality records.