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PFAS in Minnesota

A hand wearing a blue glove dips a bottle in water to collect a sample

State agencies in Minnesota are working together to manage the state’s growing problem of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of thousands of human-made chemicals known to be toxic that do not break down in the environment, earning them the nickname "forever chemicals." The chemicals are produced, used, processed, and released into the environment, yet we haven't thoroughly studied their toxicity and danger to people's health and the environment. PFAS have been found in groundwater and surface water throughout Minnesota and have seeped into some drinking water systems.

The State of Minnesota considers PFAS hazardous substances and has developed long-term comprehensive strategies to address PFAS contamination, including a pollution prevention plan that will phase out avoidable PFAS use by 2032.  

Wastewater treatment tank

Minnesota’s PFAS plan

Minnesota’s PFAS Blueprint is a strategic, coordinated approach developed by multiple state agencies to protect families and communities from PFAS. The blueprint identifies short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for preventing, managing, and cleaning up PFAS found throughout the state. Ten priority areas center on research, new health guidance, drinking water and food protections, and tools for cleanup and prevention.

PFAS are found in communities all over Minnesota and we must work together as state agencies and community partners to protect Minnesotans from this persistent environmental and human health challenge.”
— Katrina Kessler, MPCA commissioner
Two children playing on the beach of the Mississippi river in MN

PFAS pollution prevention

Pollution prevention is the most effective way to protect human health, the environment, and our economy from PFAS. Minnesota is prioritizing PFAS pollution prevention by phasing out nonessential use of PFAS in new products and through PFAS in product reporting.

Boy drinking glass of water

East Metro 3M PFAS settlement

With funding from a lawsuit settlement with 3M, the State of Minnesota is executing a comprehensive plan to ensure residents in the southeast Twin Cities metro area have clean and safe drinking water. The settlement stems from a 2010 lawsuit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general alleging that 3M’s production of PFAS chemicals had damaged drinking water and natural resources. The company paid $850 million to settle the case.

Through the 3M settlement, 14 communities in the East Metro are working with the state to develop solutions for clean drinking water, free from forever chemicals.
Father and son fishing in a boat on a lake.

PFAS in fish

Minnesota is a great state for fishing. Anglers benefit from thousands of beautiful lakes and rivers, a wide variety of fish, and a robust program for monitoring fish contaminants that helps people make informed choices about eating the fish they catch. Understanding contaminants found in fish is also a window into understanding broader environmental effects of pollution, including from a category of human-made chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” 

Smokestacks against an overcast sky

Learn more about PFAS

Research into PFAS is ongoing, particularly into the ways in which it enters our water sources and its potential effects on human health. This research, in turn, informs the laws and regulations needed to prevent, manage, and clean up PFAS pollution. Learn about where PFAS comes from, our monitoring efforts, its health effects, and regulations on our PFAS pollutant page.