Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • B3

AROUND THE METRO Bulk of $47 million from German automaker would go toward cleaner transportation. By JANET MOORE janet.moore@startribune.com Minnesota received $47 million in the national Volks- wagen court settlement, and state officials are floating a plan on how to spend half that money intended to reduce air pollution and edge the state toward cleaner transporta- tion The German automaker paid $2.9 billion in 2017 to set- tle a federal lawsuit after the company was caught violat- ing air pollution standards in its diesel cars and SUVs. The funds that have been divvied up nationwide are being spent over a 10-year period. In a draft plan released Wednesday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said it will invest $23.5 million over the next four years. All told, about of the funds, which will be spent in 2020 and 2023, will be used to help electrify transportation sector.

About $7 million will be spent on electric heavy-duty vehicles, such as transit buses; $4.7 million on electric school buses; $3.5 million on cleaner heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks; $2.35 million on school bus replacement; and $2.35 million on cleaner, heavy-duty off-road equipment, such as locomotives, ferries and port equipment. The MPCA also said it will spend of the $3.52 million set aside for 43 electric vehicle charging stations in greater Minnesota, expanding the statewide charging network by more than 2,400 miles. That is the maximum amount allowed for electric vehicle charging stations under the settlement. The MPCA created the draft plan after gleaning input from across the state. for more was the most-common comment we received using our public MPCA noted.

Sixty percent of the funds will be invested in the Twin Cities metro area, and the rest in greater Minnesota. the Twin Cities, partici- pants shared concerns about school buses, and the need to replace more of them with newer technology vehicles, especially electric the report states. Others expressed interest in using electric vehi- cles and concern that charging opportunities across the state, they would not be able to travel outside of the metropolitan Now that the broad outline for spending the second phase of the settlement is available, people may comment at pub- lic meetings by Dec. 20 and by e-mail at: vwsettlement.pca@ state.mn.us. The first phase of the settle- ment for Minnesota was $11.75 million, replacing 252 pieces of diesel equipment with less- polluting models, and install- ing 47 electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

Janet Moore 612-673-7752 Twitter: Minn. has plan for VW settlement money More than $240,000 in requests were received. By PAUL WALSH paul.walsh@startribune.com A Minneapolis fund capped off its first year of awarding grants with recognition of three community organiza- tions for their creative efforts to counter climate change. The Minneapolis Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund, a partnership of the city of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Foundation and the McKnight Foundation, issues grants for community-driven initiatives and projects that show results in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy effi- ciency, renewable energy and other means. The fund received more than $240,000 in requests from 11 applicants in this sec- ond round of grants in its inau- gural year.

Applications were reviewed by a committee of staff members from city gov- ernment and the two founda- tions as well as residents who serve on city environmental working committees. grants demonstrate it is possible, and imperative, to attack the climate and equity crisis said R.T. Rybak, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. The Lake Street Council and the West Bank Business Association received $25,000 in recognition of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by helping businesses adjust to changes in public transporta- tion and ensure that carbon- free options are accessible to residents and visitors regularly hear from small-business owners that they are concerned about the reduced availability of cheap and plentiful parking in our commercial districts in com- ing years as we shift to a less car-dependent said Allison Sharkey, execu- tive director of the Lake Street Council. Sharkey said the grant will allow her council and the West Bank Business Association to small-business owners take actions to ensure that they lose customers and con- tinue to plan to help busi- nesses work together to opti- mize the management of the parking that they do she said.

also help busi- nesses implement incentive programs for employees and customers to arrive by transit, foot, bike or She also pointed out that Lake Street will benefit in the coming years from the Line Bus Rapid Transit, which will travel along the thoroughfare and provide faster service. ensure that business owners and employees have the opportunity to the design of these transit proj- ects, so that they work well for everyone in our The other recipients announced last week: Black Visions Collective, $25,000 for its development of an environmental justice leadership panel composed of people of color and Indig- enous leaders. The collective is seeking to recruit people to lead campaigns in influencing public policies affecting the environment. Dream of Wild Health, $15,000 in recognition of its Upper Midwest Indigenous Seed Keepers Network, a database service that catalogs and shares vital information about seeds from across the region. The network partners with tribes and Native Ameri- can organizations to develop training in growing, protect- ing, preserving and sharing indigenous seeds.

These seeds promote cli- mate change resilience by supporting the ability of Native American communities to grow and eat locally, reducing their dependence on the indus- trial food system and lowering their carbon footprint. Dream of Wild Health Exec- utive Director Neely Snyder said the seeds were gifted by elders, seed keepers or their ancestors and a number of tribes, and that her organiza- tion has staff to care for seeds, which are an important part of Native American history. capacity allows us to continue to steward the seeds for generations to Snyder said. funding supports the efforts of our dedicated staff who educate our youth and families about the importance of seed pres- ervation and the effects of cli- mate change and how our Indigenous communities are most vulnerable in a cul- turally relevant The next grant round is expected to open in early 2020. For more information, visit minneapolisfoundation.

Paul Walsh 612-673-4482 Minneapolis fund recognizes efforts to fight climate change BRIAN PETERSON brian.peterson@startribune.com Cupid, a 28-year-old African penguin from the Como Park Zoo Conservatory in St. Paul, entertained residents of the Waters senior-living facility in Plymouth on Wednes- day as part of the Como in the Community outreach and education program. A WEB-FOOTED FRIEND ALEX KORMANN alex.kormann@startribune.com Under the plan, more charging stations would be available for electric vehicles like this Tesla being charged in Duluth. Replacement of three panes is awaiting bids. By ROCHELLE OLSON rochelle.olson@startribune.com Three broken windows high on the southeast corner of U.S.

Bank Stadium broke dur- ing the spring thaw and await replacement as winter comes knocking. The three 5-by-8-foot panes are in the clerestory between the vertical wall and the roof, stadium spokeswoman Lisa Niess said not the giant win- dows near the ground. The windows broke when chunks of ice apparently struck a snow deflector on the build- ing and bounced into the glass. She added that the southeast corner of the building has a unique design, with the snow deflector closer to the windows than in other areas. Niess declined to provide a cost estimate for the new windows because the Minne- sota Sports Facilities Author- ity (MSFA) is awaiting bids for replacements.

Niess said the long replacement process is connected to the fact that the windows are customized. These are not the first win- dows to break on U.S. Bank foot glass exterior. On July 21, 2016, before the opening in August, a pane of glass on the north side of the building was broken by a pedestrian who threw a piece of decorative rock at the glass. That 10-by-5-foot window was double-paned so the breakage expose the interior, but the broken glass was highly visible.

Replac- ing the window took several weeks and left the building in less than perfect shape for the grand opening. The expanses of glass are a signature design element at the stadium, but also become an issue because a fatal target for birds and sometimes let too much light into the building. The glass had to be covered during the 2019 Final Four bas- ketball tournament, requiring the purchase of multimillion- dollar custom curtains. And two weeks ago, a $300,000 bird mortality study concluded that an average of 111 migrating birds die from collisions with the glass annually. Stadium operators and the Vikings are considering strategies, includ- ing placing film on the glass, that would help the birds avoid harm.

The first trou- bling design problem had nothing to do with glass. The zinc panels that cover the exterior required reinforce- ment after some came loose in storms during summer 2016. During a winter storm in December 2016, a couple of panels flew off the building. After months of inspections and panel reinforcement, that problem appears to have been fixed. Rochelle Olson 612-673-1747 Stadium glass broken since spring RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII Dream of Wild seed database received $15,000 from the Minneapolis Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund.

ZSW B3 Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 DAY, OV 2 1 2 0 1 9 I TA TA I B3.