Staff Directory 9346094

Chloe Johnson

Environmental Reporter | Environment

Chloe Johnson covers climate change and environmental health issues for the Star Tribune.


A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., Johnson joined the Star Tribune in 2022. She has completed the Metcalf Institute's Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists, and is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Johnson previously covered the environment at the Charleston Post and Courier in South Carolina, where her work was honored as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Recent content from Chloe Johnson
Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley speaks at a news conference Wednesday outside of Owens Corning about a fee on carbon emissions that was

Mayor Jacob Frey vetoes Minneapolis City Council's new fee on carbon emissions

The mayor said he supported the concept, but was advised the new policy was illegal. Council supporters disagree.
This 2018 image shows a ditch dug on Ernie Mayers' farm in Corcoran. This ditch and other work drained at least 11 acres of wetland there.

Seven years on, wetland damage on a Hennepin County farm hasn't been fixed

A county official called it the worst violation of the state's wetlands law that he's seen. But farmer Ernie Mayers said the county had damaged his farm by not maintaining nearby drainage.
A boat navigates the waters of Namakan Lake near Kettle Falls in Voyageurs National Park.

Park ranger dies trying to help family in Voyageurs National Park

Ranger was attempting to rescue a father and his two children when windy, dangerous conditions on Namakan Lake flipped their boat.
Minnesota State Patrol

Man killed in motorcycle crash near Wayzata that involved alcohol, State Patrol says

The crash on Hwy. 12 near Wayzata closed the highway for several hours on Saturday.
The condition of a boy, who was struck Saturday, was still unclear on Sunday afternoon.

7-year-old skateboarder struck in hit-and-run in Minneapolis

Police noted boy suffered from "apparent life-threatening injuries" when they arrived at the scene Saturday night.
The scene in February 2023 when Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation that will move Minnesota utilities toward carbon-free energy by 2040.

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.
The Mile Post 7 mining waste basin photographed from a helicopter in 2010. Northshore Mining has proposed expanding the basin.

Company seeks to expand massive lake of mine waste near North Shore

WaterLegacy says state regulators cannot rely on environmental studies conducted a half-century ago. DNR says it has closely studied the massive site known as Mile Post 7 and says it's safe.
Minnesota school districts have five years to test all of their buildings for lead and get levels under a new threshold set by the state.

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.
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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.
Minnesota DNR fisheries personnel go electrofishing for brook trout near Lake City, Minn.

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.
Water flows through the Coon Rapids Dam on the Mississippi River.

Mississippi River sheen mystery solved

The MPCA says lubricant from the Coon Rapids Dam was to blame.
At the White Earth Land Recovery Project facility, brothers Wayne (sitting) and Gordon Stevens harvest some wild rice on lower Rice Lake.

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.
Water flows through the Coon Rapids Dam on the Mississippi River. On Wednesday, state pollution officials said they are investigating a new area of po

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.
A former iron ore processing plant near Hoyt Lakes, Minn., would become part of a proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine.

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.
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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.
Suzy Coyer, a former employee of Happy Tails Rescue in Fridley, adopted her husky, Frankie, from the organization, which saw allegations of poor condi

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.
A worker prepared a ladle filled with molten iron at Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023  Minneapolis, Minn. The foundry's owners announced on Friday

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.
Northern Iron and Machine is seen on Thursday, June 20, 2024 in St. Paul.

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.
The Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset, Minn., in 2011.

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.
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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.
Runners stand for the National Anthem before the one-mile race at the Excelsior Firecracker Run on Thursday.

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.
Celebrity chef Justin Sutherland, shown in 2021.

St. Paul celebrity chef Justin Sutherland threatened to shoot girlfriend and choked her, charge says

Sutherland's defense attorney strongly denied the allegations.
The Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River, southwest of Mankato, where Gov. Tim Walz inspected flood damage from a National Guard helicopter on Tuesday.

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.
Michael and Dana Strande look out the window of their Woodbury home next to a collection of items and plants that pay tribute to their late daughter A

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.
Loopie, a 1-year-old cat, is one of the 42 animals seized in a recent investigation of Happy Tails Rescue in Fridley. Eleven of those animals are now

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."
Law enforcement members accompany the casket of officer Jamal Mitchell at Maple Grove High School on Tuesday.

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.
Law enforcement members accompany the casket of officer Jamal Mitchell at Maple Grove High School on Tuesday.

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.
A worker sweeps up silica sand around casting molds at Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. For years, residents have been complain

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.
Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. For years, residents have been complaining about bad smells from Smith Foundry and its next-do

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.
A worker prepared a ladle filled with molten iron at Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023  Minneapolis, Minn.  For years, residents have been complain

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.
Crude ore is fed into a grinder at U.S. Steel's Keetac plant in Keewatin, Minn., in 2022. The company sought an exemption from new water pollution rul

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.
3M dumped PFAS sludge in the Washington County landfill for years. It's one of two sites that seeded underground chemical pollution that state officia

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

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.
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer

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.
Michael Strande, Amara Strande’s father, speaks at a news conference Wednesday in St. Paul. Amara Strande died of a rare cancer a year ago.

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.
A worker sweeps up silica sand around casting molds at Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. For years, residents have been complain

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.
Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune Saturday, May 29, 2004 -- Brandon, MN -- New corn sprouts from a black dirt field in Brandon, MN. Minnesota experienced heavy

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

Man shot in Minneapolis in front of his two toddlers, police say

There have been no arrests so far in the incident.
Carolyn Cavender Schommer, center, was among tribal members witnessing the signing of documents that marks the return of state-owned land within Upper

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
Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, brings a kitten named Pinto up to the podium as he and Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, introduced their bill

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.
Project manager James Locurto of Sanexen Altra oversaw a foam fractionation system that filters PFAS out of leachate by foaming it up in Rosemount on

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."
A smoky haze enveloped Minneapolis seen from the south across I-35W Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. Smoke from Canadian wildfires blowing

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.
The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) is a waste-to-energy facility that burns garbage to generate energy. Operators fluff the garbage to make it

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.
Pulsar CEO Thomas Abraham-James stood in front of the company's Jetstream #1 helium exploration facility in Babbitt on the Iron Range.

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.
A smoky haze enveloped Minneapolis seen from the south across I-35W Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. Smoke from Canadian wildfires blowing

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.
A stovetop griddle was stamped out of aluminum at Nordic Ware in St. Louis Park. The company aims to be PFAS-free by the end of March, ahead of Minnes

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."
Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. For years, residents have been complaining about bad smells from Smith Foundry and its next-do

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.
A worker prepared a ladle filled with molten iron at Smith Foundry Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 Minneapolis, Minn. For years, residents have been complainin

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.
File photo of I-394 near Highway 100.

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.
Ross Girdeen sorted items for recycling and possible reuse at Repowered Minnesota in St. Paul. Leaders from the MPCA and other organizations released

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.
Workers with the Eagan Public Works Department prepared for another dump of weekend snow by filling trucks with salt, in March 2019. GLEN STUBBE • g

MnDOT lags in goal to better use road salt

Widespread salting of roads has led to pollution in streams and lakes across Minnesota
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter celebrates and sings after the end of the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast at the Minneapolis Con

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.
Cars were piled up in April outside the metal recycling facility at Dem-Con Companies Environmental Campus in Shakopee.

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.
A truck drove past rusted and vacant buildings in July at the PolyMet processing site in Hoyt Lakes, Minn.

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 and its business partner Teck will rely on the former LTV Steel site, seen here in Hoyt Lakes, Minn., to process and store ore and waste rock.

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.
Little Earth resident Nicole Mason talks about her grandchild with severe asthma during a heated community meeting with the MPCA and the EPA about the

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.
Nearby resident Jim Hagen takes a photo of a cast iron water main pipe from 1925 that utility workers cut off during the cleaning and lining process,

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.
A biker rides near the Rally Center at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area in 2017. Former mines in that area are among the deepest lakes in the stat

What is Minnesota's deepest lake?

Humans created many of the state's deepest water bodies.
The Smith Foundry Co. in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis was found by EPA investigators to have been regularly violating its air permit.

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.
The proposed Twin Metals copper nickel mine would sit near Birch Lake on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (Brian Peterson/Minnea

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.
A core sample drilled from underground rock in 2011 in northern Minnesota shows a band of shiny minerals containing copper, nickel and precious metals

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.
Camp Ripley in Little Falls, seen in 2015, is one of two military sites in Minnesota known to have contaminated nearby drinking water wells with PFAS.

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.
A core sample drilled from underground rock in 2011 in northern Minnesota showed a band of shiny minerals containing copper, nickel and precious metal

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 clarifiers under construction at the St. Paul Regional Water Services McCarrons water treatment plant in Maplewood on Wednesday. St. Paul Regional

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.
Much of east-central Minnesota has reached severe drought levels, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Minnesota gripped by worsening drought, with little rain in sight

The dryness is harming farmers' yields and cattle, and could dim fall colors.
This sample of lichen on an Itasca County tree branch, seen under a microscope, shows many different species within a small area. Provided/ Natalia Mo

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.

University of Minnesota researcher digs into hidden world of lichen to measure the air we breathe

Twin Metals land across Birch Lake: Aerial view looking along the Birch Lake toward the site of the Twin Metals underground mine.

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.
A smoky haze enveloped Minneapolis on June 14, seen from the south across I-35W.

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.