Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Barbara Battiste as a public member to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens’ Board.

Battiste, of Minneapolis, has 14 years of professional experience in the environmental field. She was on the MPCA staff during the agency’s formative years as a geologist and overseer of solid waste and resource recovery permits. Battiste has served on the Metropolitan Council Waste Advisory Committee, the Board of Metropolitan Waste Control Commission and the Workers Compensation Rehabilitation Review Panel. Battiste is the current manager of career exploration program for WomenVenture, a non-profit economic development agency for women. She has a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Battiste is appointed as a public member to the MPCA Citizens’ Board to a complete a four-year term that ends January 2, 2010. She replaces Keith Langmo on the board.

The MPCA Citizens' Board considers and makes decisions on varied and complex pollution problems that affect areas of the state. Decisions are intended to achieve a reasonable degree of purity of the water, air and land resources of the state in order to provide for the maximum enjoyment and use of these resources for the welfare of the people. The Citizens' Board consists of the Commissioner of the MPCA and eight members who are appointed by the Governor.