Listed below are upcoming ACRRA Board meetings. The ACRRA Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Conference Room OLF-B555, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Building, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 18E.05 Subd. 3. "The board must receive a completed application at least 30 days before a board meeting in order for a request for reimbursement or payment to be considered at that meeting." To help ensure your application is "complete," submit 30 days prior to the deadline (60 days prior to the ACRRA Board meeting). Regular ACRRA Board meetings are usually held on the third Wednesday of every third month. A scheduled meeting may be canceled due to insufficient funds in the account or if there is insufficient business.
Changes to scheduled meetings will be announced on the ACRRA website.
If you would like to be placed on the ACRRA Board mailing/email lists, please contact ACRRA Program Staff at 651-201-6138.
| ACRRA Board Meeting | Deadline for Submittal of Complete Applications | Recommended Submittal Date to Assure Applications are Complete by the 30-day Deadline. |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2023* | April 17, 2023 | March 20, 2023 |
| August 16, 2023* | July 17, 2023 | June 20, 2023 |
| November 15, 2023* | October 16, 2023 | September 18, 2023 |
| January 17, 2024 | December 18, 2023 | November 17, 2023 |
*All previously scheduled 2023 have been changed.
These meetings will be posted here. They are not posted in the State Register.
May 17, 2023 ACRRA Board Meeting
The next ACRRA Board meeting will be held in person at the MDA office in St. Paul (address listed above), however, we will also be offering a virtual option for those who are unable to attend in person. The virtual link to the meeting will be posted prior to the meeting date.
October 19, 2022 Public Hearing Results
The Agricultural Chemical Response and Reimbursement Account (ACRRA) was created to reimburse persons for costs incurred in cleaning up agricultural chemical (pesticide and fertilizer) incidents. The account is funded by annual surcharges assessed on pesticide and fertilizer manufacturers, distributors, applicators, and dealers. The surcharge rate has changed throughout the years of the program. ACRRA surcharges were increased in January of 2022 from levels that had been set in 2018. This was due to the ACRRA fund balance was nearing the fund minimum. Since that time, the legislature has increased the maximum reimbursement amount per site and has also changed the fund balance requirements to remain within $2,000,000 and $6,500,000. These changes were not part of the projections when the last increase was made.
The MDA has a statutory responsibility to maintain the ACRRA fund balance between $2,000,000 and $6,500,000. The balance is projected to drop below the new minimum balance of two million dollars during 2023 based on the estimated expenditures and revenue trends unless surcharge rates increase. The MDA will conduct a public hearing to take comments about a proposal to increase surcharge rates. If these changes are approved by the Commissioner, they would take effect beginning January of 2023.
A public hearing was held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 immediately following the regularly scheduled ACRRA Board meeting. Input from the public was considered and the commissioner subsequently made the decision to increase the current surcharge rate in order to keep the fund within the statutory requirements. More information on the increased surcharge rates can be found on the ACRRA webpage.
