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MPCA permits are required for construction, modification, and operation of facilities where solid waste is treated, stored, processed, transferred, or disposed.

The MPCA added three bodies of water to the impaired waters list for PFAS contamination. Which are they? How did they get polluted? And how much PFAS does it take to contaminate a body of water?

Less than three years after Minnesota passed the country's first ban on TCE, a carcinogenic solvent, facilities around the state have removed it from their processes.

Improving water quality in Lake George has required treating phosphorus in the water and filtering pollutants out of urban stormwater.

The Duluth Urban Area Watershed is a focused geographic area designed to recognize the complexity and challenges in an urban center with a water-rich environment. It is defined by a series of small watersheds that are portions of three major watersheds.

The MPCA has important roles in protecting and restoring waters in degraded conditions.

Wastewater treatment and disposal are important for protecting and preserving Minnesota's water resources. MPCA regulates wastewater treatment activities in Minnesota.

Data shows that ice cover on Minnesota's lakes doesn't last as long as it used to. That means a shorter ice fishing season, yes, but it also has implications for the environment and Minnesota's fish and wildlife.

Removing Middle Lake from the impaired waters list required wrangling with a bottom feeder, the invasive carp.

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 Lake of the Woods lies on the border between the U.S. and Canada; the watershed covers 734,783 acres.

Thanks to years of restoration efforts, the MPCA confirmed the Kabekona River meets water quality standards for recreation and proposed its removal from the 2026 impaired waters list.

Surface water assessment grants (SWAG) provide local organizations and citizen volunteers with funds to complete the monitoring needed to meet assessment requirements on Minnesota lakes and streams. Assessment is usually the first step in protecting or restoring surface waters.

Minnesota’s air currently meets all federal air quality standards. However, even levels of air pollution below the standards can affect people’s health, including levels currently found in parts of Minnesota.

In Minnesota, about 18,000 regulated underground storage tanks (UST) are in use. State rules specify requirements for underground storage tanks (UST) that store petroleum or hazardous substances, and any piping or other structures that are part of the tank systems.

A project to address excess sediment and turbidity in the Mississippi River, from Fort Snelling at St. Paul to upper Lake Pepin at Red Wing, based on a site-specific standard developed by the MPCA and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Lakes Concrete Plus, Inc. paid $25,000 in fines for selling 1,500-gallon and 2,000-gallon septic tanks from 2019 to 2022 that may contain weep holes, a violation of Minnesota law.

The MPCA and its many partners collect a wide variety of data on environmental conditions and pollution sources.

Volkswagen settlement funds are helping MPCA clean up air pollution and invest in cleaner transportation to support a healthy environment and reduce emissions in Minnesota, especially in communities most impacted by vehicle pollution.

The triennial standards review offers every Minnesotan the opportunity to comment on essentially every water quality standard the agency defines to protect the waters that they drink, swim in, and fish from.