Gopher Resource recycles lead-acid batteries at its Eagan facility. The facility operates under air, industrial stormwater, and hazardous waste permits from the MPCA.
From January through March 2025, MPCA air monitoring data showed elevated lead levels that exceeded national ambient air quality standards near the facility. An MPCA analysis indicates most of the lead was deposited within 500 feet of the fenceline of the Gopher Resource property. An area within about three-quarters of a mile of the facility may have been exposed to a smaller amount of lead from the facility.
MPCA air monitoring data indicates that lead levels in the month of April returned to acceptable levels according to the federal standards that protect human health and the environment. An MPCA inspection of Gopher Resource this spring confirms that the source of the elevated lead levels has been addressed.
No amount of lead in the body is safe. Even small amounts can be harmful, especially for children. While potential lead emissions from this facility may affect the health of nearby residents, other common sources of lead include lead-based paint used in buildings, soil contaminated with lead from exterior paint on buildings, or the past use of leaded gasoline.
Data from the area around Gopher Resource have not shown higher-than-normal levels of lead in children.
Our role
The MPCA is responsible for issuing and enforcing permits that limit air emissions and water discharge from Gopher Resource’s operations to protect the environment and health of Minnesotans. Those permits reflect current state laws and regulations. The MPCA inspects the facility on a regular basis.
The MPCA issued the facility’s current air permit in December 2022. The MPCA will require Gopher Resource to apply for an updated air permit.
FAQs about Gopher Resource and lead emissions
Questions from Eagan residents about lead emissions near Gopher Resource and responses from the MPCA.
Community meetings
The MPCA is committed to working with our partners at Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to inform the Eagan community about lead emissions. In early July, the MPCA notified area residents of the elevated lead levels. We then held two community meetings, one virtual (July 21) and one in person (July 22). MPCA participated in a community meeting organized by Eagan residents on August 13.
- Aug. 13, 2025
Air monitoring
The MPCA has operated a regulatory air monitor near Gopher Resource since 2006 to measure lead, total suspended particles, and other metals concentrations. The MPCA takes samples from the air monitor every three days to measure pollutants to help the MPCA improve and protect outdoor air. With this data, the agency can track pollution trends over time to show whether outdoor air meets air quality standards and health benchmarks. Air monitors have strict requirements and are tested often to ensure high quality data.
The federal standard for lead is 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), averaged over three months of monitoring data. Data below show the three-month rolling average of monitored lead concentration values from samples collected by the Gopher Resource monitor.
- December 2024 – 0.05 µg/m3
- January 2025 – 0.19 µg/m3
- February 2025 – 0.21 µg/m3
- March 2025 – 0.23 µg/m3
- April 2025 – 0.09 µg/m3
- May 2025 – 0.06 µg/m3
- June 2025 – 0.04 µg/m3
- July 2025 – 0.03 µg/m3
- August 2025 – 0.02 µg/m3
Location
Gopher Resource is located at 685 Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. It is in an area mostly zoned for industrial with some residential areas and parks nearby. Residents fish several lakes near this facility for food consumption and recreation. According to the MPCA's environmental justice mapping tool, 33% of the people near the facility are people of color.
Timeline
- 2006 — MPCA air monitoring began.
- 2007-2009 — MPCA air monitoring showed Gopher Resource was not meeting federal air quality standards for lead, leading the MPCA to designate the area where Gopher Resource is located a lead nonattainment area.
- 2009 — Gopher Resource implemented additional lead controls to come into compliance with lead standards.
- Aug. 24, 2015 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the MPCA's determination that the area where Gopher Resource is located meets the federal lead air quality standards based on three years of quality-assured data.
- January-March 2025 — MPCA air monitor measured elevated levels of lead near Gopher Resource.
- May 29, 2025 — MPCA issued a notice of violation for exceeding lead air quality standards.
More information
Blood lead testing. MDH’s routine Minnesota Childhood Blood Lead Screening Guidelines recommend all children receive a blood lead test around 12 and 24 months of age. Older children and adults should be tested if there are other risks. Residents who are concerned about their lead exposure should discuss blood lead testing with their health care provider.
For those who do not have insurance or a health care provider, find blood lead testing options on the MDH website.
Soil lead testing. MDH offered lead testing of soil samples that residents dropped off at the July 22 public meeting and at the Dakota County Wescott Library from July 14 to Aug. 1.
Frequently asked questions
Jump to section:
- Lead and air pollution standards
- Gopher Resource lead emissions
- Children, pets, and wildlife
- Blood testing
- Monitoring
- Notification of lead emissions
- Nonattainment
- Other questions
Lead and air pollution standards
The Clean Air Act sets standards for lead and air pollutants that the U.S. EPA and the MPCA apply to industrial facilities like Gopher Resource to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. The EPA revised the standard for lead in 2008 and reviewed it again in 2016.
- Are the levels currently set by federal/state regulations consistent with current science on where the levels should be, or do they need to be updated?
The U.S. EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to set standards for lead and air pollutants based on the most current science to protect human and environmental health.
The federal government lowered the lead standard in 2008 from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) to 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3).
U.S. EPA conducted a formal review of the standard in 2015-2016, considering additional research on the health impacts of lead from 2008-2014. In October 2016, U.S. EPA published a final review and determined the most current science continued to support the standard at 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter. The U.S. EPA reviews these standards periodically.
EPA’s 2008 revision of the lead standard, and the 2016 review of the lead standard, included an extensive review of the medical and toxicology research around lead exposures and health impacts. The 2008 revised standard and results of 2016 review were supported by EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Board.
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set a federal air standard at levels that will protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. In 2016, EPA found the 2008 standard continued to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety.
- What was the emission standard before 2008 and was it being monitored?
The federal airborne lead standard before 2008 was 1.5 ug/m3. MPCA began monitoring Gopher Resource in 2006.
- Does the MPCA have total emissions in pounds for 2024 and prior years?
The MPCA provides access to Air Emissions Inventory Data on our website, with data going back to 2012.
- How does the MPCA classify ambient air metals, and how do you regulate them?
The MPCA classifies the nine other metals that we monitor for, in addition to lead, at Gopher Resource as air toxics. Air toxics are harmful air pollutants that have been linked to multiple health effects. The Clean Air Act regulates a subset of air toxics, called hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), by setting requirements for types of facilities known to emit this air pollutant.
In October 2025, the MPCA adopted a rule requiring facilities in the seven-county metro area to report their air toxics emissions each year to the MPCA. In addition, the MPCA is working right now on a rule regulating air toxic emissions from facilities in the seven-county metro area. You can find more information at our Air Toxics Regulations Rulemaking fact sheet:
- What health benchmarks does the MPCA use to understand risks from air toxics in Minnesota?
The MPCA uses health benchmarks from the Minnesota Department of Health, EPA, California EPA, and other state or international organizations that review research data and establish health benchmarks. We continue to track the work of these other organizations when they make updates to the health benchmarks they develop to determine if we should update the health benchmark values.
- How are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) regulated at facilities such as Gopher Resource?
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate HAPs for various types of facilities. EPA regulations require Gopher Resource to comply with regulations specific to their type of facility. EPA provides an overview of federal regulations for HAPs on their website. In general, EPA’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants – or NESHAPs – require facilities like Gopher Resource to use certain pollution control technologies, operating procedures, and best practices to reduce the emissions of HAPs.
- Are there any exceptions to this?
Yes. EPA and MPCA regulate lead emissions and airborne lead levels under the Clean Air Act using a National Ambient Air Quality Standard or NAAQS. The Clean Air Act requires EPA and MPCA to ensure levels are below the NAAQS. The Clean Air Act also requires us to take multiple monitoring and planning steps to return levels to below the NAAQS when measured levels are above the NAAQS.
- Will there be any changes to how the MPCA regulates air toxics in the future?
Yes. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature gave the MPCA authority to regulate air toxics beyond the NESHAPs.
- What is the status of those regulations?
You can track this rulemaking on our website. In addition, the MPCA just adopted an Air Toxics Reporting rule for Twin Cities metro area on Oct. 6, 2025.
- What does this mean for us in Dakota County?
The MPCA will require all facilities in the seven-county metro area – including Dakota County – to report their air toxics emissions to the MPCA each year. MPCA’s rule requires facilities in the seven-county metro area to report their 2026 emissions by April 2027.
- What will the facilities do with that data?
We encourage you to follow the Air Toxics Regulations Rule development process to receive updates about requirements facilities will need to follow when the rule is adopted.
Gopher Resource lead emissions
To prove that a facility is not in compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for lead, federal law requires the MPCA to show a three-month rolling average of lead emissions above a certain threshold. Air monitoring data above that threshold in January, February, and March 2025 prompted the MPCA to start an investigation into Gopher Resource, which is ongoing. Monitoring shows that, as of April 2025, lead levels have returned below that threshold.
- Specifically at Gopher Resource, what air toxics are you monitoring, and are you comparing that information to national benchmarks?
The MPCA analyzes for nine metals – in addition to lead – considered air toxics at our lead monitors at the Gopher Resource site. The agency uses health benchmarks from EPA, MDH and other states or other countries to compare measured levels.
- What does the MPCA do with the metals monitoring data it collects at Gopher Resource?
We continually review all available monitoring data and compare the levels to the federal standard for lead and appropriate health benchmarks for the other nine metals. Until recently, Minnesota’s environmental laws, like in most states, have not included air toxics regulations. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature directed the MPCA to develop reporting rules and new regulations covering air toxics. We encourage you to follow the Air Toxics Regulations Rule development process on our website. The MPCA adopted a new air toxics emissions reporting rule in October 2025 that will require annual air toxics emission reporting for facilities in the seven-county metro area. Previously, the MPCA collected air toxics emissions data from facilities every three years.
The public can track the air monitoring data the MPCA collects on the MPCA’s Gopher Resource Tableau workbook. In this workbook, the MPCA compares our monitoring data to health benchmarks.
- Why were the lead emissions allowed to exceed the limits for three months?
Federal law requires a three-month rolling average of lead emissions data as part of the regulatory process. This data went through rigorous quality assurance and quality control review, a process that can take several weeks.
The monitoring data was being reviewed, as it became available from the lab analysis, while the replacement of the malfunctioning equipment occurred. The monitoring data indicated that additional investigation of lead sources was needed to address additional emissions from the malfunction.
- Why wasn’t the plant shut down until Gopher could demonstrate it could operate and comply with lead standards?
Since the malfunctioning equipment was taken out of service, a total facility shutdown was not necessary.
- How much over the levels were the readings?
The national ambient air quality standard for lead is 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over three months of data. The three-month rolling average of lead levels at Gopher Resource from January to March were:
- January 2025 – 0.19 ug/m3
- February 2025 – 0.21 ug/m3
- March 2025 – 0.23 ug/m3
- How did you determine the area of focus – or the area most likely to be affected by the lead emissions in January, February, and March?
The area of focus was determined based on an analysis and modeling that estimated where any amount of lead from the facility may have dispersed. The analysis indicated most of the lead fell within 500 feet of the fence line of the property of Gopher Resource. Most of the area of focus would not have experienced levels of lead as high as the levels read on the monitor located across the street from the facility, due to its proximity to the facility.
That area of focus is based on the modeling of the facility’s emissions. Modeling takes into account:
- the emission’s characteristics (temperature, stack height, stack diameter, exit velocity, stack locations)
- terrain
- building geography/heights
- meteorological conditions (wind and thermodynamic data)
- facility control equipment
- pollution plume physics
In this model run, we used all the data the facility provided us. We then removed the control equipment from the model to simulate an uncontrolled release. We used the meteorological data from the exceedance period.
The area of focus is the area that the model showed any concentration of lead. That should simulate a “worst case scenario.”
Modeling also indicated that most of the lead landed within 500 feet of the fence line of the property of Gopher Resource, but because it is hard to quantify the exact characteristics of the emissions during an equipment failure, we instead used the area where any lead was modeled, which is about a three-quarter mile (or 3,960 feet) buffer around the facility.
- How did you develop the area of focus at the Gopher Resource site?
We used EPA-approved computer modeling to develop the area of focus.
- What EPA model did you use to determine the affected area?
The modeling was completed using EPA’s AERMOD version 24142. Information on how modeling is done with AERMOD:
- How were the emission issues resolved?
Gopher Resource reported shutting down malfunctioning equipment. The investigation into the lead exceedances remains open.
- Where can we find either the daily data or the three-month rolling averages?
You can find that information at mnpca.info/gopher-data.
- Does the MPCA have the authority to reconsider Gopher’s overall operating permit as part of its enforcement response?
Yes, the MPCA will review all parts of Gopher Resource air permit as we move through the enforcement process.
- How will you share information about the ongoing investigation?
The MPCA will continue to share information about the investigation on our website: mnpca.info/gopher
Children, pets, and wildlife
While no amount of lead in the body is considered safe, the EPA considered an extensive review of medical and toxicology research on the health impacts of lead exposures on people when setting the existing federal air quality standard for lead. Pets and wildlife may experience some health effects from lead depending on levels of exposure.
- According to the MPCA’s own website there are no safe levels of lead exposure for children. Why then should we accept your determination that the lead levels our children are currently being exposed to are “acceptable”?
The U.S. EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to set standards for lead and air pollutants based on the most current science to protect human health and the environment and include an adequate margin of safety.
The federal government lowered the lead standard in 2008 from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) to 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3).
U.S. EPA conducted a formal review of the standard in 2015-2016, considering additional research on the health impacts of lead from 2008-2014. In October 2016, U.S. EPA published a final review and determined the most current science continued to support the standard at 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter. The U.S. EPA reviews these standards periodically.
- Any signs that we should be looking out for in pets, especially with the proximity to the dog park?
Given what we know, we would not expect pets to develop lead-related symptoms due to the recent air release event. Pets can experience some of the same health effects from high levels of lead exposure as people. This can include problems like anemia, stomach pain, and high blood pressure. However, some symptoms people report – such as headaches or learning difficulties – cannot be easily measured in pets.
Lead poisoning in pets is more likely in situations where they are exposed to large amounts of lead. This could happen if a pet chews on baseboards with old lead-based paint, spends time in a windowsill that has lead paint dust or chips and then grooms itself, or swallows something made of lead like a fishing sinker.
- You mentioned an area with milkweed and monarchs. What impact could this lead exposure have on pollinators and other wildlife?
From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
Butterflies in the Twin Cities metro were found to have smaller wings when they have more lead in their bodies. The route to exposure for butterflies was likely through the soil and the air as opposed to their host plants, such as milkweed. This would apply to insects that overwinter in Minnesota, as well. Migratory species, like monarchs in particular are only around April to October.
Blood testing
Blood testing can indicate whether somebody has been exposed to lead. The Minnesota Department of Health offers resources to learn about blood lead levels.
- Can we get a blood test for lead for free, and if so, where?
The Minnesota Department of Health has resources that can be found here:
- What is the half-life of lead in the blood, and wouldn’t that render the blood tests moot this long after the emissions?
From Minnesota Department of Health:
Some sources suggest that it takes about 30 days for blood lead levels to drop by half, but this is a rough estimate. It often takes three months or longer for blood lead levels to go down by half.
Monitoring
The MPCA has had a monitor across the street from Gopher Resource since 2006 that samples for lead and other air pollutants.
- Where are the air monitors located?
The MPCA’s air monitor is located across the street from Gopher Resource on Yankee Doodle Road.
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- How many air monitors are at the Gopher Resource site? Who owns/operates the monitors?
The MPCA owns three of the monitors; Gopher Resource owns the other and can access it at any time.
- Is the monitor that Gopher Resource has on site EPA approved, and does it collect and report data in real time?
We do not operate or control the Gopher Resource monitor. Please reach out to Gopher Resource for questions related to their monitor.
- Does MPCA have a regular schedule for when they measure and retrieve samples?
Yes, we do. Our monitors collect samples every three days and the samples are brought back to the MPCA’s lab at least once every six days. We also conduct frequent inspections of our equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- How are the air monitors secured at the Gopher Resource site?
Ensuring that air monitors are secure is of the utmost importance to the MPCA. The agency protects our equipment in several ways, including regular site visits to visually inspect the equipment. In addition, we use a digital timer that tracks the monitoring run duration, power failures, start time and end time. There are several other safety measures in place, but, for security reasons, we will not share all the details.
- Does the EPA require the MPCA to use multiple monitors?
The EPA requires a minimum of one monitor at the monitored locations. We use multiple monitors to help ensure accuracy and that we collect high-quality data.
- Does the MPCA use continuous air monitoring at the Gopher Resource site?
The MPCA is not using a continuous metals monitor since our lead monitoring is intended to determine compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which require us to use the EPA approved method for monitoring. The monitors operated near Gopher Resource meet the federal requirements. At this time, the EPA does not have any approved continuous air monitoring options for lead.
- Is there a real-time lead monitor on the stack?
No.
- What about data for arsenic/cadmium/dioxins/hydrocarbons/furans? These have all been documented emissions from Gopher Resource as they melt batteries.
At the Gopher Resource monitoring site, we monitor for lead, total suspended particles, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese, nickel, and selenium. This data is available to the public at mnpca.info/gopher-data.
- How often does the monitor sample for lead? What is the sample frequency? How long does it take to receive the results from the lab?
The MPCA air monitor samples every three days. It takes several weeks to process the data and put it through rigorous quality assurance and quality control testing.
- Are you taking any other steps to monitor the air near Gopher Resource?
We are developing a mobile air monitoring system that will allow us to sample around facilities such as Gopher Resource. This new tool will allow us to conduct investigations to rapidly assess pollutant levels near facilities.
- Can the public review Gopher’s monitoring data?
At this time, the MPCA considers any data received from Gopher Resource as nonpublic due to the ongoing enforcement action. You can request the data collected from Gopher Resource’s monitor from Gopher Resource.
Notification of lead emissions
The MPCA notified residents and businesses as soon as it had definitive evidence of elevated lead levels above permitted levels.
- Why wasn’t the public notified sooner so we could take action to protect ourselves? Why did it take so long for the announcement to come out to Eagan residents?
Exceedances occurred in January, February, and March, however notification was not sent to Gopher until May and the public in July.
Monitoring for lead is not an instantaneous process. Samples must be collected over a 24-hour period, returned to the lab, analyzed with sensitive instruments, and the data reviewed to ensure it is correct and accurate. We didn’t have final data that showed an exceedance of the standards until mid-May.
The data available in mid-May also showed that the corrective actions taken by Gopher Resource brought levels back down and into compliance when all work was complete.
Once we had the verified data available, we immediately started planning a public open house. The original meeting, scheduled for June 24 was postponed following the murder of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
- Why were we not notified about the lead emissions until July 11? They happened in January, February, and March.
Federal law requires a three-month rolling average of lead emissions data as part of the regulatory process. This data went through rigorous quality assurance and quality control review, a process that can take several weeks. The MPCA didn’t have final data that showed an exceedance of the standards until mid-May.
Once we had the verified data available, we immediately started planning a public open house. The original meeting, scheduled for June 24, was postponed following the murder of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
- Were businesses notified?
Yes. Businesses were notified at the same time residents were. Mail routes within a two-mile radius of Gopher Resource all received flyers with the information.
Nonattainment
The area around Gopher Resource entered nonattainment status — meaning it exceeded the federal air quality standard for lead — in 2008. While the levels of airborne lead in the area remained below the federal standard from 2012 until January 2025, removing the area from nonattainment status is a lengthy process. When air monitors in the area showed elevated levels of lead in early 2025, that process restarted.
- The MPCA has repeatedly referenced “nonattainment” as it relates to Gopher. What does that mean?
Nonattainment is a word that comes directly from the Clean Air Act that regards a process to improve air quality in a place so that it's better than EPA's health-based standard.
The nonattainment process creates requirements for the state and EPA to take many steps to improve the air quality in a place that is classified as nonattainment. Monitoring air quality is a core requirement. Other requirements are requiring air pollution reductions at facilities and identifying who else is releasing air pollution that will create improvements to air quality and seeking ways to reduce their air pollution. All these requirements are included in a large plan that the state submits to EPA for approval. The process can take many years, even when the air quality has become better than EPA's standard, due to the requirements of the Clean Air Act.
For the area in Eagan, the nonattainment happened when EPA lowered its standard for lead in 2008. Since 2012, the levels of airborne lead in Eagan have been below EPA's standard. However, because all the steps of the process in Clean Air Act have not been completed, the area continued to be called nonattainment. The air pollution event in 2025 caused a resetting of the clock and the state will now revise our plan that we must give to EPA. The levels of airborne lead in Eagan since April 2025 continue to be below EPA's standard.
- How and why did the Gopher facility enter nonattainment?
In 2008, the EPA set the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead at a level 10 times stricter (from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter to .15 micrograms per cubic meter) to promote health benefits and protect children and other vulnerable populations from lead exposure.
When the EPA reviewed monitoring data across the country and compared it to the new standard, the EPA found the area around Gopher Resource did not meet the new standard at that time.
Being designated nonattainment does not mean that the area is not complying with the standard the whole time it is designated nonattainment.
The monitor near Gopher Resource was meeting the federal standard for lead between 2012 and 2025. For the first time since 2012, the monitor exceeded the standard in January, February, and March of 2025. Since April 2025 the monitor has once again been meeting the standard.
It is important to note that EPA generally only designates areas as nonattainment as part of an organized process immediately after it changes the federal standard for a pollutant. Those areas remain designated as nonattainment until they have at least three years of monitoring without exceeding the standard and the MPCA completes specific analysis, planning, and paperwork steps that are then reviewed and approved by EPA.
An area does not automatically switch to attainment status once it meets the standard.
- What was the MPCA’s response to the EPA’s designation of the area as being in nonattainment?
In response to the area being in nonattainment, the MPCA required Gopher Resource to take steps to reduce its lead emissions. The monitoring data demonstrated that the area around the facility was meeting the NAAQS standard by 2012. With the exception of isolated incidences in early 2025, the area around Gopher Resource has consistently remained below the NAAQS.
- Why hasn’t the area been moved out of the nonattainment status?
While it may seem straightforward to switch the area around Gopher Resource to attainment status once it meets the standard, the process is more complex.
The area must first meet the standard for three years. Then the MPCA must prepare a detailed state implementation plan (SIP) to document how the area will continue to meet the standard. This plan must be submitted as a formal request to the EPA for redesignation from nonattainment to attainment.
The MPCA submitted such a request in 2022. In 2023, monitors near the facility showed lead levels that did not exceed the standard, but were slightly elevated. Because the monitored levels were close to the standard, the EPA required the MPCA to submit additional information about what the MPCA required the facility to do to ensure the area would not exceed the standards. Because monitoring data in 2025 showed an exceedance of the standard, the agency will need to restart this process.
- Why does the SIP matter to residents?
The SIP directly impacts residents by laying out the rules that facilities in nonattainment areas like Gopher Resource must follow to control emissions. The SIP requires MPCA air monitoring in the area. The SIP also establishes contingency plans should lead levels rise again.
Once approved, the SIP becomes a legally binding document, giving the MPCA and the EPA the authority to hold Gopher Resource accountable.
It is important to add that the SIP process requires a public comment period before it is approved.
Eagan residents and anyone who is interested will have the opportunity to review the plan, raise questions, and suggest improvements before the plan is finalized.
- What is the status of the SIP?
The MPCA is now preparing a new SIP for the area around Gopher Resource.
The first formal step in that process will be for the MPCA to formally withdraw the SIP we submitted to EPA in 2022. All the requirements of the 2022 plan will remain in effect until a new plan is approved by EPA.
The new SIP will respond to the 2025 exceedance and explain how the facility meets its obligation to stay within the federal lead standard.
The MPCA will continue monitoring the air quality around Gopher Resource and these air monitors will need to show three consecutive years of data below the standard before a nonattainment area is eligible to be designated as in attainment. That three-year period will begin in 2026, which means the earliest the process could begin to reclassify the area around Gopher Resource as being in attainment is 2029.
Other questions
- Please explain why Gopher would settle with the residents for $30 million before this last set of events if there were not serious concerns?
MPCA was not a party to the action and therefore cannot speak to the litigation, settlement or Gopher Resource decision making.
- Is there a pending lawsuit for Dakota County residents affected by Gopher Resource?
MPCA is not a party to any lawsuit or aware of any pending lawsuit and therefore cannot speak to it.
- Is there any issue with chemicals being discharged into groundwater, water bodies or the Eagan water system? Who/what tests water issues at Gopher?
Together, community water systems and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) test drinking water for more than 100 contaminants. Community water systems must prepare annual water quality reports, known as Consumer Confidence Reports, for their customers. The reports tell where drinking water comes from, what’s in it, and how you can help protect it. Minnesotans can contact their water system for a copy of the report or find it on the MDH Consumer Confidence Reports webpage.
- What were the results of the soil sampling that was done this summer?
The Minnesota Department of Health is finishing up the data collection and is notifying individuals of their soil results. MDH shared aggregate results at a community meeting on Aug. 13.
- There’s a massive new development underway directly south of Gopher Resource. Is it a good idea to allow construction there?
The MPCA does not make or review zoning decisions. The city of Eagan sets local zoning and issues building permits for construction in the city.