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What is "What's in my neighborhood?"What's in my neighborhood provides a wide variety of environmental information about your community.Search for:properties that were previously contaminated and…

Lake Pepin Watershed excess nutrients TMDL

Addressing excess nutrient levels in Lake Pepin based on the site-specific water quality eutrophication criteria for the lake developed by the MPCA.

Eco Living – Use less salt in your water softener to cut pollution and save money

Across the state, water softeners contribute significantly to chloride pollution. Here’s how to make sure your water softener isn’t sending excess salt into the environment

Eco Living – How to conserve home heating energy on a budget

What to consider when cold weather has you looking into home weatherization projects

User policies and disclaimers

AccessibilityThe Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is committed to accessibility on its website. As part of that commitment, the MPCA makes every effort to comply with the State of Minnesota…

Minnesota conservation officer protects public waters for future generations

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…

Volunteer observers have a keen eye for lake health, MPCA study finds

Regular people are pretty good at judging water quality, and new research from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) proves it.

How's the air there? Minneapolis sensor network tracks air quality at the neighborhood level

MPCA’s community air monitoring pilot grant program will provide $4.85 million to build more networks of community air sensors in the Twin Cities metro area.

Local governments: Disaster preparedness

Cleanup and recovery from a natural disaster depends on local units of government to guide and direct residents to ensure the effective and efficient disposal of wastes in accordance with statutes, rules, and guidelines.

Information requests

MPCA keeps its public data easily accessible for convenient use.

Construction stormwater permit FAQs

Answers to common questions about the Construction Stormwater Permit application

Air permits in Minnesota

Recent air permits issued by the MPCA can be found in What's in My Neighborhood. The tool does not currently include all previously issued air emissions permits. All air emissions permits issued by…

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels—including gasoline, diesel fuel, crude oil, and wood—and other natural and synthetic products. Breathing in…

MPCA honors environmental leader who restored her shoreline while educating her community

Kathy Wagner, recipient of the 2025 Community Conservationist Award from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD), discusses her personal conservation work and local environmental advocacy.

When water speaks through us: Katy Backes Kozhimannil on health, climate, and community

For Katy Backes Kozhimannil, water is intrinsically tied to her life’s work. As a professor of public health at the University of Minnesota with a focus on rural communities, she has made it her life…

MPCA’s Addison Otto draws on agricultural experience in rulemaking work

Question and answer session with Addison Otto, a rule coordinator with the MPCA, about her work with the agency and how her hobby farm informs her work.

Green Chemistry Prize winner, Naware, swaps herbicides for steam and AI

Edina-based startup, Naware, recently took the $10,000 Green and Sustainable Chemistry Prize, sponsored by the MPCA as part of the MN Cup, for combining two unlikely technologies to replace herbicides in lawncare with a more environmentally friendly alternative.