MPCA team praised for expertise, customer service Member Melisa Wenzel speaks at national conference

Minnesota is a leader in many areas, but it’s not often that a member is asked to speak at a national conference about her team’s pollution control work and asked to co-chair a national work group on the issue within a week.

That’s exactly what happened to Melissa Wenzel (pictured in the photo on the right), industrial stormwater program coordinator with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Local 301 steward. Wenzel and her team manage the state’s industrial stormwater protection program, which she says, “Regulates manufacturers, transporters, recyclers and landfillers of stuff.”

MPCA has broken down Minnesota’s 3,500 facilities into 29 industrial sectors. “We developed stormwater protection tools and guidance materials and showed Minnesota facilities ‘here’s how you can be successful with these tools,’ ” Wenzel added.

Stormwater runoff is a leading source of water pollution and can harm surface waters such as lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. Pollutants in stormwater runoff include metals, fertilizers, oils, salt, sediment, litter and other debris.

MPCA’s website caught the attention of Mapistry, a company focused on bringing together subject matter experts, technology and education on a cloud-based platform to help regulated parties. Earlier this month, the organization hosted a national pollution prevention summit in Berkeley, CA. Wenzel was asked to make a presentation about Minnesota’s stormwater program.

“Our whole team was blown away by the number of resources MPCA provides to their permittees, in addition to lending site-specific advice! The Mapistry team strives for innovation in the field of environmental management and was inspired by MPCA’s approach,” Mapistry CEO Allie Janoch said.

“The audience raved about Melissa’s presentation and was inspired by MPCA’s approach. We hope that other states follow Minnesota’s example in providing so many tools to facilities to increase their understanding and compliance with the permit which, of course, ultimately reduces pollution,” Janoch added.

On Nov. 27, Wenzel and Mapistry will co-host a webinar focusing on outreach, engagement and success stories to demonstrate that building trust is a two way street for environmental compliance.

Wenzel was pleased to see Minnesota honored for the work it is doing and admitted with a smile, “I did see some envy as people wished their states were as focused on customer service as we are.”

Several companies, including Massachusetts-based medicine manufacturer Aileron Therapeutics, asked to use MPCA’s self-audit tool.

Wenzel has also been asked by the Association of Clean Water Administrators, a nonprofit that works with and for the Environmental Protection Agency, to co-chair a national stormwater work group.

Wenzel said much of the credit for her team’s success goes to MPCA management, “We’re supposed to be the experts but we worked with management to implement different tools like You Tube videos – we also worked with communications, engineers, administrative staff and others. Our management has always been on board with us.

“MAPE members have to speak up when they’re feeling overloaded or when they have great ideas. We talk about this in meet and confer all the time. We are our own best advocates,” Wenzel added.