Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The Hibbing Gas Manufacturing Plant was torn down in 1980, but the industrial processes of the past left contamination in the soil, groundwater and nearby surface water.

Individual grants will range from $1,500 to $150,000. Eligible applicants include farmers and livestock producers and organizations that train or support farmers.

MPCA meteorologists are predicting an active air quality season for 2026, comparable to 2024. A strong El Niño cycle is expected to bring warmer and drier conditions.

Leanna Goose and Annie Humphrey from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Emma Needham from the Red Lake Nation advocated for uncultivated wild rice beds left in the state.

Over 250 people attended the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's public meeting. Permits could be issued as soon as April, with the mine aiming to open in June.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host an informational open house for the mine's air, water and wetlands permits, one of the last regulatory steps for the company.

The agency did not issue a determination on permits at U.S. Steel’s Keetac mine, which is expected in February 2026 ahead of the Legislature convening.

The 401 Water Quality Certification is required when construction-related activities are proposed near a navigable lake, river, stream or adjacent wetland in Minnesota.

Anyone who does winter road maintenance is invited to attend this free certification training on Oct. 8, 2025, at the Cass County Land Department in Backus.

Minnesota's wild rice sulfate standard has been in place since the 1970s but has been lightly enforced. With that changing, Rangers are worried about the potential economic consequences.