Dayton Appoints New Minn. Pollution Watchdog

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — There's a new chief Minnesota pollution watchdog.

Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday named John Linc Stine to run the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He will replace Paul Aasen, who is giving up the commissioner's post to take a high-level job for the city of Minneapolis.

Stine has been deputy commissioner of the MPCA and previously worked as an assistant commissioner at the Department of Health.

The MPCA is charged with monitoring environmental quality and enforcing environmental regulations. It is involved with permitting and sometimes issuing fines over pollution.

He takes over as acting commissioner on May 14.

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