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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) sample and test fish in bodies of water where known pollution issues may be a concern for human health through fish consumption.
MPCA rules govern how septic systems are designed, installed, and managed.
Minnesota passed a law in 2023 that restricts the use of lead and cadmium in 15 categories of consumer products, including toys and school supplies.
The MPCA regulates waste, recycling, and disposal activities in Minnesota. MPCA permits are required for the design, construction, and operation of solid waste management facilities where storage, collection, transportation, processing or reuse, conversion, or disposal of solid waste occurs.
Plastic can be recycled, but it’s often not, a situation the MPCA aims to resolve with grants to develop markets for recycled plastic.
New rules establish a program for the MPCA to collect information about products containing intentionally added PFAS and establish fees to be paid upon submission of required reporting.
Join our team! Open positions and general opportunities at the Pollution Control Agency
Does it seems like the number of alerts due to wildfires has increased in the past few years? We’ve had 46 air-quality alerts since 2015—34 of those due to wildfire smoke.
The Performance Excellence Network has awarded the MPCA its Excellence Award for the agency's superior operational performance and commitment to continuous improvement.
Emissions generated from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles are the greatest source of air pollution in Minnesota
The 2026 Climate Action Framework prioritizes reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting Minnesotans
Central Bi-Products emitted higher levels of hydrogen sulfide than is allowed, causing odor complaints in the community of Long Prairie and resulting in a $3 million fine. Central Bi-Products has agreed to spend a minimum of $4.4 million on a supplemental environmental project that will improve its wastewater treatment.
Minnesota's law relating to the collection and recycling of video display devices ("televisions" and "computer monitors") sold to households/consumers was signed into law in May 2007.
Pretreatment by commercial facilities and other non-domestic wastewater sources removes harmful pollutants before the wastewater is discharged to a municipal sewer system. The U.S. EPA has delegated MPCA the authority to approve pretreatment programs at the local level and oversee statewide pretreatment activities.
Karst near Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, host of the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit. Phil George, who lives in rural Byron, Minnesota, has always felt a deep…
The We Are Water MN exhibit at Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail in Holdingford runs from April 25 through June 17.
Hot mix asphalt plants in Minnesota must follow federal and state air standards.
Elevated levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) are present in soil, soil vapor, and groundwater around this site in New Hope.
Elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene have been found in soil vapor around this site in St. Paul.
A successful cleanup of contaminated land along the Cedar River in Austin caps a long history of industrial pollution.