Recent content from Chloe Johnson
Which Minnesota schools have the most lead in their drinking water? The state will soon find out.
A new state requirement calls on schools to test all their faucets within five years and fix any lead levels above what is allowed in bottled water.
Minnesota wants new limits on 3M plant that piped industrial chemicals into the Mississippi River
The permit proposed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is the first-ever attempt to set hard limits for the chemicals coming out of a factory.
What it takes to stock the State Fair fish pond: a secret lake, electrofishing and collateral damage
The Department of Natural Resources' fish collection is one of the most popular attractions at the fair. Here's what it takes to make it happen.
Mississippi River sheen mystery solved
The MPCA says lubricant from the Coon Rapids Dam was to blame.
Farmer pursues fresh challenge to White Earth Nation over Minnesota tribe's water rules
A smaller farmer is now challenging permits for river water use, after showdown with potato-growing conglomerate.
Second sheen is under investigation as MPCA probes possible contamination in Mississippi River
Minneapolis and St. Paul both turned off their downstream drinking water intakes, though Minneapolis has since returned to using river water.
After legal setbacks, company will explore making Minnesota copper-nickel mine more eco-friendly
The mine, originally proposed by the Glencore subsidiary PolyMet, has faced court losses over three major permits.
From Line 3 to 'carbon-free': Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's record on environment and climate
As governor, Walz boasts a series of what progressives view as major wins, but he has also disappointed environmental advocates on decisions about mining, oil pipelines, ag pollution and more.
Coal ash tainted water spills next to a popular northern Minnesota wild rice bed
An underground pipe may have been leaking for five days before it was discovered, according to Minnesota Power.
Police raids shed light on Minnesota's weak laws, fragmented oversight of animal rescues
Proposed law changes have failed in the Legislature in recent years, but some are expected to be considered again in 2025.
Under pressure to curb pollution, Minneapolis foundry announces it will shut down
Smith Foundry had been in the center of pollution complaints for years. It settled an EPA case last month and said it would keep operating some of its business, but now changed course.
Judge blocks MPCA from restricting hours at St. Paul iron foundry accused of pollution
Regulators say Northern Iron, LLC in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood, broke air quality rules for fine particles and lead.
Utility: Coal ash spill in northern Minnesota was five times larger than first thought
Minnesota Power is cleaning up a spill of coal ash-laced water at Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset, Minn.
A million gallons of coal ash wastewater spills at Minnesota Power coal plant
The Duluth-based electric utility said an unknown amount of polluted water had reached a nearby lake after a pipe leaked.
Independence Day celebrations get off to a wet and dreary start
A late round of additional thunderstorms are likely to scuttle fireworks displays. The Minneapolis riverfront display is on, the Park Board says.
St. Paul celebrity chef Justin Sutherland threatened to shoot girlfriend and choked her, charge says
Sutherland's defense attorney strongly denied the allegations.
Rivers cresting in parts of the metro area, as federal aid is approved for 22 counties
In Jordan, the Minnesota River broke a 59-year flooding record on Friday.
Body found in roadside pond off I-94 rest stop in Maple Grove
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
Young but running out of time, Amara Strande fought 'forever chemicals' to help save the lives of others
She died at 20 working to protect her friends and family from PFAS, which resulted in Amara's Law. Her younger sister Nora has emerged as a powerful voice carrying on her legacy.
Some animals seized from Fridley rescue are now up for adoption at Animal Humane Society
Four dogs and seven cats are looking for their new forever homes after being removed from the rescue where they "endured inadequate medical care and living conditions."
MPD officer Jamal Mitchell memorialized as 'very best of our city'
Thousands attended the Maple Grove service and viewed the 30-mile processional for the police officer killed in the line of duty.
Live: MPD's Jamal Mitchell posthumously given medal of honor, Purple Heart during 85-minute service
'Jamal was the epitome of a guardian of our community,' Chief Brian O'Hara said.
Environmental groups say Minnesota failed to stop polluters, should hold statehouse hearings on enforcement
From industrial plants to farm country pollution, the MPCA, DNR, MDH and MDA have lapsed in environmental enforcement, a coalition of environmental groups claims.
Lawmakers grant Minnesota more power to close down repeat polluters
In recent cases like Smith Foundry and Water Gremlin, regulators said they lacked authority to take more decisive action.
Police seize 39 live animals, and 15 dead cats and dogs, from Fridley animal rescue
Fridley police have been working since February to investigate Happy Tails Rescue, after a tip about animal mistreatment.
Smith Foundry will shutter Minneapolis furnace after settling air pollution case with EPA
The foundry, which has operated in Minneapolis' East Phillips neighborhood for 101 years, will become a metal finisher, and pay $80,000.
U.S. Steel won't get exception to pollution rules that protect wild rice, MPCA says
The company had asked the state to raise limits for sulfate in Hay Lake, downstream of its Keetac taconite plant.
A plume of PFAS chemicals under the east metro is moving. The state has a plan to stop it.
Preliminary plans would include a broad and complex system of wells to control the underground flow.
Sealing up your home can save money and fight climate change
An Edina woman knew her house could get drafty in the winter, so she signed up for a home energy audit to find out where cold and heat were getting in.
What a renter can do to fight climate change
Behavioral change, personal investments and even a conversation with your landlord can help reduce the carbon emissions from your rental home or apartment.
State says 10 water systems in the metro have unsafe levels of PFAS, under new EPA rule
It could cost $1 billion to remove PFAS or "forever chemicals" from Minnesota water supplies alone, but advocates say the costs are worth it to protect public health.
Minneapolis foundry failed to protect workers from breathing hazards, state inspectors say
Smith Foundry is contesting seven violations and penalties from the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration, with fines totaling $15,300.
AI could help track farm country's carbon emissions, U study says
A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests a machine learning model could help solve the tricky question of where planet-warming gases are escaping from soil.
Man shot in Minneapolis in front of his two toddlers, police say
There have been no arrests so far in the incident.
Dark history, hopes for future mix as Minnesota transfers state park to Dakota tribe
At a ceremony officially handing former state park lands back to Dakota tribe, Gov. Tim Walz bemoaned past treatment of tribes by the U.S. government
Bill would lift the secrecy around Minnesota's inspections of pet breeders
Bill authors say families deserve detailed information about the conditions their dogs and cats are raised in, but the breeding industry says the legislation would expose private business information.
PFAS is piling up in our trash. Can we keep it contained?
Minnesota landfills in Rosemount and St. Louis County are experimenting with methods to contain the "forever chemicals."
Minnesota's wildfire season has started, and risk is heightened through spring
Persistent drought and a record warm winter have led to dangerous conditions and fuel ready for ignition, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.
Should companies pay to recycle their packaging? Some lawmakers want them to
A bill from Rep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-Minneapolis, would put packaging companies on the hook, but some waste and recycling companies oppose it.
Helium is hiding below northern Minnesota. It could help fuel space exploration and medical tech.
Drillers looking for platinum and palladium stumbled on what may be a major helium reservoir in Minnesota. It is a sought-after commodity.
Minneapolis air quality dips as morning commute's pollution is trapped at ground level
A wintertime inversion trapped fine particles close to the ground, but conditions improved through the day.
We're addicted to PFAS. Can we adapt to live without?
As bans and other regulations come into effect, there still aren't replacements for the useful but damaging "forever chemicals."
Minneapolis foundry is moving toward settlement with EPA but isn't yet compliant
Smith Foundry in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis has been accused of breaking air pollution rules.
Pollution tests show Minneapolis foundry is controlling soot, releasing lead
Testing of Smith Foundry's smokestacks in December showed the soot filters on East Phillips factory's smokestacks are working, but the work didn't capture all emissions.
Group suggests making refineries pay to cut greenhouse gases from cars and trucks
Minnesota's proposed Clean Transportation Standard also favors scaling back the goals for carbon-free cars.
Reducing the Twin Cities' trash could start with buying used
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency hopes recycling, repair and reuse businesses will help to stem the mountain of garbage produced by the seven-county metro.
MnDOT lags in goal to better use road salt
Widespread salting of roads has led to pollution in streams and lakes across Minnesota
Thousands of Minnesotans gather to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy
An annual fundraiser breakfast in downtown Minneapolis drew the largest crowd since before the pandemic.
U.S. Supreme Court decision puts Minnesota's climate change lawsuit closer to its day in court
The highest court declined to take up a challenge to Attorney General Keith Ellison's lawsuit against six oil firms, clearing the path for the case to start back up in state court.
Shakopee metal recycler fined $140,000 for mishandling ozone-depleting and planet-warming chemicals
Dem-Con Metal Recycling didn't have a plan to capture CFCs and HFCs, and couldn't operate the necessary equipment during an EPA visit.
Odor complaints about Mpls. foundry, asphalt plant mostly went nowhere
Odor complaints about the Minneapolis foundry and asphalt plant mostly went nowhere.
Stalled NorthMet mine notches win in court, can keep air permit
State regulators judged to have followed rules in issuing air pollution permit to the NorthMet project, originally proposed by PolyMet and now owned by the partnership NewRange Copper Nickel.
Xcel fined $14K over unpermitted storage of radioactive water at Minnesota nuclear plant
After a leak of tritium at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Station was revealed in March, Xcel faced repeated challenges in collecting and storing the tainted water.
Dredging kept the Mississippi River open this year but creates its own problems
The Army Corps of Engineers spends tens of millions to maintain a shipping channel for barges on the Mississippi.
PolyMet mine faces new obstacle after judge recommends rejecting its permit
Administrative Law Judge James E. LaFave wrote that PolyMet's plan to block tailings seepage with bentonite clay would not meet state rules for reactive mine waste.
Residents confront officials over health issues linked to Mpls. foundry
In a draft list of violations released in August, the EPA said Smith Foundry had been polluting its neighborhood's air and breaking air quality limits for five years.
Minneapolis cuts off 'dead leg' pipe that tainted one street's water with orange filth
The city fixed the problem after Jim Hagen's years of complaints. Now he wants others to get the same relief.
MPCA: We have no evidence Smith Foundry polluted Minneapolis neighborhood
The Environmental Protection Agency made a surprise visit to the iron foundry in May, and said it found a raft of problems. But Minnesota regulators insist they don't have the data to show Smith released excess soot.
Lake that flows to Boundary Waters placed on state's list of polluted waters
Already impaired by taconite mine pollution, Birch Lake could face new threats from a proposed copper-nickel mine, environmentalists say.
Twin Metals gets go-ahead for drill plan in BWCA watershed
The mining company will be allowed to sink six holes to explore state minerals near Birch Lake in St. Louis County.
Pentagon investigating six sites in Minnesota for PFAS contamination of drinking water
At least two sites — Duluth airport and the National Guard's Camp Ripley — are already suspects for contamination.
With mine stalled, Twin Metals wants to drill exploratory holes in Boundary Waters watershed
Twin Metals asked to sink six new holes in northeastern Minnesota as it searches for copper, nickel and platinum group metals.
New research seeks solutions to clean drinking water without creating harmful chemicals
Scientists have known for years that treating water with chlorine or other chemicals can create toxic compounds; now, four teams will use EPA grants to find alternatives.
Minnesota gripped by worsening drought, with little rain in sight
The dryness is harming farmers' yields and cattle, and could dim fall colors.
University of Minnesota researcher digs into hidden world of lichen to measure the air we breathe
Natalia Mossmann Koch is testing the heavy metals absorbed by lichen as a low-cost way to measure air pollution.
Twin Metals lawsuit that sought to restart mine near BWCA tossed out
The proposed copper-nickel mine, which would be in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has faced an uphill battle with the Biden Administration.
Wildfire smoke may drift into Minnesota throughout the fall, forecasts say
A year of record-breaking fires in Canada means it's likely that some blazes will continue to burn until snow starts falling.
Two mines want exemption from state pollution rule designed to protect wild rice
After 50 years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is enforcing a limit on sulfates, which can convert to toxic sulfides that kill wild rice.
Another blow for copper-nickel mine as state Supreme Court tosses permit
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency didn't adequately consider the NorthMet mine's threat to water quality, the court ruled.
Man killed in shooting early Sunday in north Minneapolis
The man in his 20s was shot when an argument escalated outside an unlicensed nightclub, police said.
Minnesota health officials investigating after five children fall ill from raw milk
The cluster of cases are linked to the same source, but investigators are still trying to identify where the milk came from.
CDC says bites from lone star ticks are making people allergic to meat, but Minnesota cases are a mystery
A cluster of cases is located in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, far from the tick's known range in the southern and eastern United States.
Funding shortfall casts doubt on Mississippi River lock and dam study in Twin Cities
The Army Corps of Engineers was awarded a quarter of the money it wanted to study whether to keep, sell or remove two locks and dams on the river between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
