Local sites and projects

Restoration activity along the waterfront of Duluth, Minnesota.

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Duluth | Western Lake Superior Sanitary District

Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) is a wastewater treatment facility that serves Duluth, Cloquet, Hermantown and the greater Duluth area. The WLSSD facility treats wastewater and discharges it into the St. Louis River estuary leading into Lake Superior. It uses physical, chemical and biological treatment systems. There are five monitoring stations for this facility.

Minneapolis | Former Precision Plating Superfund site

The Precision Plating site in north Minneapolis was formerly home to a metal plating facility where solvents and metals were released into the soil and groundwater.

Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project

Enbridge Energy is continuing restoration work around its new Line 3 crude oil pipeline across Minnesota. The new line replaces an aging Line 3 and began operating in October 2021, after Enbridge completed the project’s construction phase.

Silver Bay | Northshore Mining

Northshore Mining Company is proposing a project to relocate the West Ridge railroad at the Milepost 7 Tailings Basin, including the construction of a new embankment.

Mountain Iron | Minntac Taconite

The Minntac Taconite facility near Mountain Iron holds MPCA water and air permits. It is pursuing a renewed water permit for operation of its tailings basin.

Minneapolis | Southeast Hennepin area groundwater and soil contamination

Trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene have contaminated groundwater and caused vapor intrusion issues at this site.

St. Paul | Metropolitan Council of Environmental Services incinerator expansion

The Metropolitan Council proposes adding a fourth wastewater incinerator which requires an amendment to the facility’s current air emissions permit.

Minneapolis | General Mills/Henkel Corp. contamination

A legacy of trichloroethylene disposal at the General Mills/Henkel Corp. Superfund Site at 2010 East Hennepin created an area of groundwater contamination that has led to vapors traveling upward through the soil, where it can enter houses and buildings.

Andover | Red Oaks neighborhood groundwater contamination

The chemical 1,4-dioxane, a likely carcinogen, was found in private wells near Bunker Lake Blvd. and Crosstown Blvd.

Minneapolis | Abbott Northwestern Hospital utility plant expansion

Abbott Northwestern Hospital's planned update to its heat- and power-generating equipment requires an update to its air emissions permit.

St. Louis Park | Highway 100 and County Road 3 area groundwater contamination

Systems to treat drinking water have been installed to address groundwater contamination in two St. Louis Park and three Edina municipal wells.

St. Paul | Morning Star Church area soil contamination

Elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene have been found in soil vapor around this site in St. Paul.

Burnsville | Burnsville Sanitary Landfill expansion

Burnsville Sanitary Landfill is proposing to increase the size of its landfill by nearly 23.6 million cubic yards. This expansion will also increase the peak height of the landfill by 262 feet.

White Bear Township | Water Gremlin

The MPCA is considering a major amendment to the air quality permit held by Water Gremlin, a manufacturing facility in White Bear Township.

North Minneapolis | Industrial air monitoring

The MPCA is working with the city of Minneapolis to identify sources of air pollution in North Minneapolis and find strategies to reduce emissions.

St. Paul and Minneapolis | Urban air quality project

The MPCA studied small-scale differences in air pollution in urban areas to learn how to minimize human health risks, particularly for vulnerable communities.

East Metro | 3M PFAS contamination

Groundwater and drinking water in the east Twin Cities metro area is contaminated with PFAS due to 3M's disposal practices at four sites in the area.

Babbitt | PolyMet NorthMet project

PolyMet Mining plans to develop a mine and processing plant to extract copper, nickel, and precious metals.

Gem Lake | Gem Lake area groundwater contamination

The MPCA is investigating the source of the chemical 1,4-dioxane in private wells in Gem Lake.

Burnsville | Freeway Landfill and Dump contamination

The MPCA is working to address environmental concerns at the closed Freeway Landfill, to prevent the buried waste from affecting drinking water and the nearby Minnesota River.