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Protecting and restoring water quality is one of the MPCA's core areas of focus.
First of a series of MPCA staff profiles. Kevin Stroom conducts research on streams and has published a report about Straight River.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency places members with host sites throughout Minnesota each year. Members serve full-time for 11 months (Sept. 2026 through Aug. 20227) at environmental nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions.
The Shell Rock River begins at Albert Lea Lake in Freeborn County in south-central Minnesota, a few miles from the Iowa border. It flows 113 miles into Iowa, where it enters the Cedar River. In Minnesota, the Shell Rock drains 246 square miles (160,000 acres), all in Freeborn County.
The Mississippi River - St. Cloud Watershed covers 691,200 acres (1,080 square miles) in the south-central part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes all or parts of the counties of Benton, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright.
Image MPCA staff provide technical assistance to businesses seeking to improve their environmental performance and prevent pollution.Small business…
Elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene have been found in soil vapor around this site in St. Paul.
What consumers should know about new Minnesota laws prohibiting PFAS in consumer products and the MPCA’s efforts to minimize PFAS pollution by keeping it out of commonly used household products.
With 100 days until a law aimed at removing PFAS from consumer products goes into effect, state leaders celebrate three Minnesota-based companies already offering goods made without PFAS.
Minnesota is the first state to require producers fund boat wrap collection and recycling.
Climate adaptation is about developing strategies to help human and natural systems become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
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.
These Minnesota sites are registered with the MPCA to accept covered electronic devices for recycling.
The MPCA monitors and assesses lakes around the state to determine if they meet water quality standards.
Whether they are called sloughs, swamps, bogs, or potholes, these are all wetlands and they provide many environmental benefits and contribute to watershed health. Though Minnesota has lost almost half of its wetland acreage over time, the quality of the remaining wetlands is good overall.
The MPCA has actively been developing methods and building capacity to improve our ability to monitor and assess wetlands to protect and restore them.
The MPCA proposes to adopt the U.S. EPA's 2013 national recommended water quality criteria for ammonia as its Class 2 ammonia water quality standards for the protection of aquatic life.
Environmental information and resources for the automotive industry
As Minnesotans prepare for another summer of outdoor activities, MPCA meteorologists are forecasting a moderately active air quality season.
MPCA rules govern how septic systems are designed, installed, and managed in Minnesota.