Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association: An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul, MN.

Manuscripts Collection

Finding aid encoded by Alex Kent, Shelby Edwards January 2010. Finding aid written in English February 2011 Edited, Monica Ralston OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association. MECCA records. 1958-2004. Materials in English. Administrative files (including bylaws, meeting minutes, financial information, member directories, and newsletters), subject files, visual materials, and task force files of an environmental citizens' action group, also known as MECCA, organized in 1968. The collection also includes meeting minutes, financial reports, tax forms, and a few select topical files of the Midwest Environmental Education & Research Association that were kept by Robert F. Nelson, a founding member of MECCA. 16 boxes (10 cubic feet), 1 oversize folder, and 1 microfilm reel. See Detailed Description for shelf locations. HISTORICAL NOTE

The Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association (MECCA) is a citizen action group organized in St. Paul in 1968 to oppose the depletion of natural resources and the pollution of air, water and soil. Its activities include research and evaluation of pollution problems, legislative lobbying, publicity and educational programs, and monitoring of agency and public meetings and hearings related to environmental issues in Minnesota.

Some of its primary concerns have been nuclear, thermal and emission pollution from Northern States Power Company nuclear generating plants; problems of nuclear power in general, and a proposed nuclear moratorium; dumping of taconite wastes into Lake Superior; mining and logging in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area; watershed drainage and lake pollution in several locales; a proposed coal terminal at Pig's Eye Lake; the actions of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; airports and noise pollution; a proposed metropolitan airport at Ham Lake; household ecology; and recycling.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Airlines. Airport noise. Airports -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Airports -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul. Airports -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota. Airport zoning. City noise. Conservation of natural resources. Environmental health. Noise control -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota. Noise pollution. Nuclear power plants. Pollution. Supersonic transport planes. Persons: Del Calzo, Janice. Nelson, Robert F. Organizations: Metro Clean Air Committee (Minneapolis, Minn.) Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council. Midwest Environmental Education & Research Association. Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Northern States Power Company (Minnesota) Document Types: Photographs. Microforms. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. MECCA Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Microfilm Production:

Newsletters, 1969-1974 (M244): St. Paul, Minn: Minnesota Historical Society, 1974.

Microfilm available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 11,687; 12,102; 16,539

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 1715648

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Administrative Files 147.E.4.4F Background: Articles of incorporation, undated and 1968. Bylaws, 1971. Charitable registration documentation, 1968-1970. Order allowing writ, November 1968. Operating manual, 1970. Philosophy and goals, undated. Proposed organization, undated and 1969. Purpose, 1968. Task force committees, undated. Financial information, undated and 1969-1986. 7 folders.

Includes financial reports and journals, as well as tax statements.

General: Board member biographies, undated. Board of Directors and committee member directories, undated and 1979-1982. Clippings, undated and 1968-1991. 2 folders. Correspondence, 1968-1987. 2 folders. Ecology Christmas cards, undated and 1970-1973. Fund raising, undated and 1969-1970. Grant proposals, undated. Newsletters: M244 June 1969-June 1974. 1 microfilm reel.

Includes membership appeals.

147.E.4.4F 1977-1986.

Incomplete.

Publications, undated and 1982. Resolutions, 1972. Speeches, 1968-1970. Stock certificates, 1983. Membership: Annual meetings, undated and 1971-1977. First general membership meeting materials, April 1970. Membership and board member photographs, undated. Membership directories and lists, undated and 1986. Membership dues, 1975, 1979. 147.E.4.5B Meeting minutes, 1968-1983. 9 folders.

Includes board and general committee minutes.

Prospective members, undated and 1981. Subject Files 147.E.4.5B Activists' checklist, undated. Air Pollution Control Association, 1968. City planning, undated and 1968-1975. Crisis in Eden speech, April 1970. Dutch elm disease, 1970-1971. Elk River, 1969-1970. Hennepin County works, undated and 1993-1994. The Lead Coalition, undated and 1984-1989. 7 folders. 147.E.4.6F Legislative, 1970-1977. Mayor Byrne, undated and 1968. Metro Council, 1967-1968. Metropolitan Airports Commission, 1968. Minnesota River Watershed Association, undated. Mississippi River pool 2, undated and 2002. Mississippi Watershed, 1968-1976. 2 folders. Monticello, undated and 1967-1973. 3 folders. Mosquito control, undated and 1985. Natural resources management plan for Battle Creek Park, undated and 1996, 2004. Noise pollution, undated and 1970-1971. Northern States Power Company, undated and 1968-1974. Nuclear radiation, 1958-1970. 2 folders. Pesticides in the environment, March 1970. Pig's Eye, undated and 1968-2003. 7 folders. Pollution Control agency, undated and 1968-1971. Port Pirie studies, undated. Radioactive waste disposal, 1986. Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (Battle Creek), undated and 1975. Reserve Mining company, 1985. Resource recovery, 1970-1975. River bluffs scenic easements, undated and 1969-1973. Snowmobiles, undated. St. Paul parks and recreation, 2002. St. Paul Port Authority, 1 folder. 1968-1973. 147.E.4.7B 2 folders. 1968-1975, 1988. Timber wolf in Minnesota, February 1971. Upper Mississippi River national recreation area proposal, 1969. Visual pollution, undated and 1970-1971. Water resources, 1968-1977. Wildlife, undated and 1977-1978. Woodview Detention Center alternative uses, 1968-1988. 4 folders. Miscellaneous subject files, undated and 1968-1990. 3 folders. Visual Materials 147.E.4.7B Index cards to photographs, Photographs and slides, undated and 1972. 1 folder and 1 box.

[.20 cubic feet empty, letter sized.]

142.H.12.3B-1 Miscellaneous photographs, Undated and 1968. 55 photographs, b&w; 11x14 in. or smaller. 142.H.12.3B-2 Undated and 1968. 61 photographs, b&w; 11x14 in. or smaller. 142.H.12.4F-1 Undated and 1968. 29 photographs, b&w; 11x14 in. or smaller. Undated and 1972. 1 folder, 25 photographs, b&w; 11x14 in. or smaller. Undated and 1972. 1 folder, 18 photographs, b&w; 11x14 in. or smaller. Posters, undated and 1972. 3 items. +328 Pig's Eye Lake Coal Terminal pictorial layouts, 1974. Noise Pollution Task Force

MECCA's Noise Pollution Task Force was created in 1970 to serve as an information source on noise pollution, to prompt community support in educating the public about the effects of noise pollution, and to seek solutions to known and potential noise problems. The task force was interested particularly in establishing state and local noise ordinances, and was concerned about aircraft noise in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It was opposed to the construction of a second metropolitan airport near Ham Lake in Anoka County and fought for measures to decrease the noise emanating from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (Wold-Chamberlain). The group also supported a state bill (1971) prohibiting the supersonic transport plane (SST) from landing in Minnesota and helped pass a noise control ordinance in Minneapolis in 1971.

The files include newspaper clippings, printed material, minutes, newsletters, and correspondence. General reference files on the airline industry, proposed metropolitan airport sites, airport noise pollution, and the supersonic transport plane (SST).

Minutes and newsletters of the Metro Clean Air Committee’s noise committee (1973-1976), the Metropolitan Airports Commission (1969-1974), and the Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council (1968-1976) are also included.

P1371 1 Air industry, 1969-1974. 7 folders.

Includes newspaper clippings and related material about the air industry, especially information about individual airlines, route changes, strikes, and fares.

P1371 2 Airport site, 1968-February 1972. 7 folders.

Information about proposed sites for a new commercial airport for the metropolitan area.

P1371 3 Airport site, March 1972-1974. 4 folders.

Includes information on proposed airport sites, proposed state and local legislation to establish noise standards (which would include aircraft noise guidelines).

Airport site: Ham Lake - A Rush to Judgement, 1970. Legislation, 1969-1972. 3 folders. P1371 4 Legislation, 1973-1974. 2 folders. MAC Condemnation Suit, 1970-1976.

Refers to a lawsuit instituted by south Minneapolis residents in 1971 for personal and property damages caused by aircraft noise.

Meeting notes, 1970. Metro Clean Air Committee: Noise Committee, 1973-1976. 2 folders. Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council, 1969-1971. P1371 5 Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council, 1972-April 1976. 6 folders. P1371 6 Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council, May-September, 1976.

Includes news clippings about the Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council and the Metropolitan Airports Commission and general information about non-aircraft related noise pollution.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission: Minutes, 1969-1974. Noise: General, 1970-1974. 3 folders. Health effects, 1969-1974. Industrial, 1969-1970. Litigation, 1967-1974. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 1967-February 1970. 2 folders. P1371 7 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, March 1970-May 1972. 7 folders. P1371 8 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, June 1972-December 1973. 7 folders. P1371 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 1974. Recreational, 1970-1974. Transportation/Traffic, 1970-1974. SST (Super Sonic Transport Plane), 1970-1972. Statements: Jan Del Calzo, 1970. Midwest Environmental Education & Research Association [MEERA], 147.E.4.7B Board meeting minutes, 1970-1977, 1990, 2000. 2 folders. Donations, 1993-2003. Environmental lead database management project status report, April 2002. Financial reports, 1969-1971, 1990-2002. 2 folders. Tax forms, 1969-1981. Urban Corps program, 1980.