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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.
To help address climate change and protect the health of Minnesotans, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency adopted Low Emission Vehicle Standards for particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, non-methane organic gases, and greenhouse gases, as well as the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Standard.
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.
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.
Solving the problem of oversalted sidewalks is elementary!
Fire departments are often the first responders to incidents that include spills of hazardous substance.
The Rainy River - Rainy Lake Watershed covers 583,791 acres. Open water makes up 75,815 of those acres and wetlands occupy another 84,851 acres. The watershed is 64% in St. Louis County and 36% in Koochiching County. The northern boundary is part of the international border waters with Ontario, Canada.
The Crow Wing River Watershed is located in north-central Minnesota and covers approximately 1,946 square miles within the counties of Becker, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Morrison, Otter Tail, Todd, and Wadena.
When temperatures climb, conditions are ripe for Minnesota lakes to produce algae blooms, some of which can be harmful to pets and humans.
From 2023-2025, Northshore Mining released recycled water to the ground seven times and water relating to mining processes four times. Its largest unpermitted release was nearly 400,000 gallons of recycled water. Northshore Mining has documented equipment failure as the reason for the 11 releases.
The Red River of the North - Sand Hill River Watershed covers 708,469 acres and is part of the Red River Basin in northwestern Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.
Enbridge Energy is continuing restoration work around its new Line 3 crude oil pipeline across Minnesota. The new line replaces an aging Line 3 and began operating in October 2021, after Enbridge completed the project’s construction phase.
MPCA investigation confirms discharges sediment-laden water into the Long Prairie River, in addition to other violations, during construction of CSAH 56 & 38.
The Lake Superior - North Watershed covers over 1 million acres in the Northern Lakes and Forest ecoregion.
The Leech Lake River Watershed consists of approximately 854,659 acres (1,335 sq. miles) in the northern part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The watershed includes parts of Beltrami, Cass, and Hubbard counties and the Leech Lake Reservation (Leech Lake Band of Chippewa).
The Burnsville Sanitary Landfill (BSL) will expand to accommodate the growing municipal waste needs of the Twin Cities metro area. The expansion is part of the landfill’s long-term plan to extend the useful life of the landfill to 2062.
Roundup of key environmental justice laws passed by the Legislature in 2023
Streams of the Upper St. Croix Watershed are among the most biologically intact, healthy, and resilient of watersheds in Minnesota.
The Mustinka River begins its course southwest of Fergus Falls in southwestern Otter Tail County and flows toward the south into Grant County, where it continues through Stony Brook Lake and Lightning Lake.