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A water quality variance is a temporary change in a state's water quality standard for a specific pollutant and its relevant criteria, allowing deviation from meeting a water quality-based effluent limit for a particular discharger.
The MPCA completed 75 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2024.
The MPCA has a variety of educational displays, programs, and materials about chloride pollution. We encourage our partners to utilize these resources to engage with their community.
The MPCA's air monitors continually measure pollutants. With this data, the agency can track pollution trends over time and show if outdoor air meets air quality standards and health benchmarks.
In addition to the vessel requirements in the EPA VGP and Minnesota’s ballast water general permit, vessels must follow the requirements in Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota’s 401 certification of the VGP.
Regular people are pretty good at judging water quality, and new research from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) proves it.
$4.85 million to run community air monitoring projects in the 7-county Metropolitan Area (counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington).
When leaves fall on streets, sidewalks, and other hardscapes in urban areas, they wash into the storm drains and end up in lakes and rivers where they feed algae growth. The algae then decomposes and uses up oxygen that fish and native plants need.
Volunteer-collected data are regularly used in decision-making and conservation efforts. Find a program that excites you and join in.
General Waste and Recycling, LLC plans to convert approximately 19 acres of permitted industrial solid waste space in Itasca County so that it can accept nearly 100,000 cubic yards of municipal solid waste (MSW) per year.
Profile of John Weiss, a volunteer with the MPCA's Volunteer Water Monitoring Program
Profile of Julia Dady, a volunteer water monitor for Battle Creek in Saint Paul.
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.
In Minnesota, handlers of oil and hazardous substances are required to prepare for potential spills and take steps to prevent them.
Excess phosphorus is harming Minnesota waters. Phosphorus comes from both regulated and non-regulated sources. A quarter of Minnesota lakes have high levels of phosphorus, which means that they do…
Researchers collect samples of sediment from the bottom of Lake of the Woods in 2024. (Photo courtesy of St. Croix Watershed Research Station) After years of study…
Groundwater and drinking water in the east Twin Cities metro area is contaminated with PFAS due to 3M's disposal practices at four sites in the area.
The northeast region of Minnesota is home to the state’s metallic mining industry. The "Iron Range" has a history of iron ore (“ferrous”) mining dating back to the late 1800s and includes the large…
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.
The Cottonwood River is located in southwestern Minnesota in the counties of Brown, Cottonwood, Lyon, Murray, and Redwood. It begins near Balaton in southwest Lyon County.