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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)’s draft wastewater permit for the 3M facility at Cottage Grove adds new water quality protections for the Mississippi River and improves accountability through monitoring and reporting requirements. The draft permit is one of the most rigorous in state history and mandates the removal of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to levels below detection.
Although the impacts from Minnesota’s changing climate are touching all of us, some groups of people are more at risk.
Lake of the Woods is a big lake with a big problem caused by one of nature’s smallest organisms: algae. Scientists from the MPCA and the Science Museum are working together to understand why.
Businesses with low levels of actual emissions can submit a simplified permit application and obtain a registration permit, with greater flexibility to make changes as long as they continue to maintain permit requirements.
The Rainy River - Headwaters Watershed covers nearly 1.9 million acres, starting in northern Cook and Lake Counties and flowing west/northwesterly into St. Louis County and the Canadian border waters.
Minnesota samples a network of shallow monitoring wells designed to provide early detection of contamination in the groundwater.
Unauthorized releases of untreated wastewater in October 2024 and January and February 2025, as well as failure to notify the Minnesota Duty Officer in a timely manner.
MPCA investigation found stormwater permit violations that occurred during a construction project in 2025, with sediment-laden stormwater entering a stream at a construction site in Chaska.
Prevent costly sewer clogs by keeping grease out of sinks and by not flushing disposable wipes.
The MPCA is authorized to develop numeric water quality criteria that apply specifically to a water body or region where the pollutant is found, using data from that water body or region.
Fire departments are often the first responders to incidents that include spills of hazardous substance.
The Blue Earth River begins in northern Iowa and meets with the West Branch Blue Earth River in Faribault County. The watershed includes parts of eight counties in southern Minnesota and four in northern Iowa.
Addressing excess nutrient levels in Lake Pepin based on the site-specific water quality eutrophication criteria for the lake developed by the MPCA.
People who service and dispose of vehicle air conditioners or appliances that contain refrigerants must be certified.
TEAM Industries, with machining operations in Audubon, Bagley, Cambridge, Detroit Lakes, and Park Rapids, paid $80,000 in fines for air, hazardous waste, and industrial stormwater violations.
An MPCA investigation found that Benson Municipal Utilities failed to conduct required carbon monoxide tests within their permit deadline for their five generators providing emergency power services to the city.
SkyWater Technology violated federal laws and Minnesota rules, operating a semiconductor plant without an appropriate air permit in Bloomington, Minnesota.
From the days when raw sewage flowed into rivers and lakes, Minnesota’s water bodies have come a long way. However, there is still work to be done in the restoration and protection of our waters.
The Vermilion River Watershed, located within northern St. Louis County, covers 662,427 acres, or 1,035 square miles.
The MPCA studies, monitors, and regulates water pollutants to protect human health and the environment. Minnesota water quality standards strives to protect water for use, measures health of waters, and guides limits on what regulated facilities can discharge to surface waters.