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CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Minnesota pollution agency could have alerted people whose health was at risk from lead exposure sooner
WCCO Investigates discovered the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) could have alerted people whose health was at risk from lead exposure sooner. In late May, the MPCA issued a notice of violation to Gopher Resource in Eagan, Minnesota, for exceeding lead air quality standards from January through March. People living nearby weren't told about the pollution problem until July. The state pollution control agency has the authority to notify people when there's a health risk. The Environmental Protection Agency told WCCO the agency doesn't have to wait three months to do so per federal law — as the MPCA told concerned residents. People who live in the area of impact voiced their concerns at a community meeting last month, and expressed frustration about how the meeting was handled. Battery recycling business, Gopher Resource, released excessive lead emissions for three months earlier this year. The company says it became aware of the elevated readings in early 2025 and alerted the MPCA. The state health department says there's no safe level of lead exposure. "The challenging part here is that we have federal rules which require that we have three months of data to confirm that those lead levels exceeded those federal standards," MPCA Division Director Courtney Ahlers-Nelson said during a virtual meeting. "As a result, after three months of data, we must physically collect the monitoring, the materials from our monitors and then we must review that very closely." The MPCA pointed to the federal Clean Air Act, saying that's why it took so long to notify people. But it was too late for anyone to take precautions. The Environmental Protection Agency told WCCO, "The Clean Air Act does not prohibit sharing data before the three-month rolling calculation is done." The EPA did say there is a time lag to process a day's sample. Here's some of what the MPCA told WCCO in response: "It is a delicate balance of sharing information and causing undue public concern and unjustified damage to a company's reputation, and we continually review our processes within MPCA and take public feedback into account. Spikes in monitoring can sometimes be attributed to monitoring equipment malfunctions or environmental anomalies, and we need to be certain of what the data shows." It added that the information they shared was part of an active investigation and, under state law, was considered non-public. Here's the bottom line: The community has said they want the MPCA to alert them as soon as possible when there's a pollution problem suspected that can impact health — and the agency can. Already, a state lawmaker has called for the legislative auditor to look into how this was handled. The legislative auditor told WCCO the office has not yet made a decision about a special review. MPCA reports there is also an open investigation into hazardous waste management and stormwater management at Gopher Resource.
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Eagan residents push for answers after Gopher Resource emitted elevated levels of lead
Residents of a southern Twin Cities metro suburb are pushing for answers about a pollution issue that could put their health at risk. Emotions boiled over at an Eagan, Minnesota, community meeting regarding the matter on Tuesday. "We would like to hear the answers to our questions together, not dispersed at these tables," said one Eagan resident who attended the "open house" style meeting. Residents received a state warning about elevated lead emissions coming from a battery recycling business in July. Risks of lead poisoning were elevated in part of Eagan for three months in early 2025. "We'll be taking what we learn here and speaking with our pediatrician on what the risks are," said Michelle Koch, who's a mother of four in Eagan. The state health department says there is no safe level of lead exposure, and children are most at risk. It can cause a range of health problems, from learning disabilities in children to fertility issues and kidney damage in adults. "The company's at fault, but the state is too," said Eagan resident Ryan Franke. "The state agency is supposed to be protecting our communities." Gopher Resource recycles lead-acid batteries at its Eagan facility. According to a statement from the company, through internal testing, it became aware of elevated readings of lead on one of its air monitors near its facility. "Upon identifying the issue, we immediately notified the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and investigated the cause," Gopher Resource said. In late May, the MPCA issued a notice of violation to Gopher Resource for exceeding lead air quality standards from January through March. Residents weren't informed until months later. "Federal law requires a three-month rolling average of lead emissions data as part of the regulatory process. That data must go through rigorous quality assurance and quality control review, a process which takes several weeks," the MPCA said. Those who attended continue to push for the forum they expected. "The MPCA is not willing to answer our questions in a group format," said another Eagan resident who attended. According to MPCA data, the issue has been resolved and lead levels in the area are now normal. For more information, click here.
