Recent content from Chloe Johnson
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.
Leaked radioactive water may have reached Mississippi River, state says no danger to public
Xcel Energy's Monticello Nuclear Generating Station sprung a tritium leak last year, and containing the underground radiation has proved a challenge.
Minnesota locked in global dilemma: More copper and nickel are needed, but mine development slow
There's a not-in-my-backyard mentality surrounding new hardrock mine projects.
More Canadian smoke will arrive in Minnesota Friday and Saturday, could linger Sunday
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said it's likely they will extend a roughly 36-hour warning for wildfire smoke.
Search continues for three missing after swimming in Vermillion River near Red Wing
Two men and a girl disappeared under the water at the confluence with the Mississippi River and haven't been seen again.
You asked about Minnesota's bad air quality and wildfire smoke. We answered
The Star Tribune asked readers for their questions on Canadian wildfire smoke and bad air quality. We've gathered some answers — and tips on how to protect yourself and your family.
Health experts explain how to keep Minnesota kids safe outside when air quality dips
Wildfire smoke has forced Twin Cities parks and schools to cancel some outdoor programs this summer.
What questions do you have about the bad air quality in Minnesota?
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued yet another warning of bad air quality across this state, this time until midnight Thursday.Expect more as…
Wildfire smoke triggers another bad air quality warning in Minnesota through Thursday
Smoke from two different regions in Canada has combined to make the air unhealthy for all groups.
Talon's Minnesota mine plan raises a familiar question: Can nickel be extracted safely?
Talon Metals' high-grade nickel mine has the backing of Tesla and the White House, but the Mille Lacs tribe worries about threats to wild rice.
Talon Metals releases plan for Minnesota nickel mine that would supply Tesla
The project is likely to receive the same scrutiny over its pollution potential that has stalled two other proposed hardrock mines.
Air quality alert expanded as pollution reaches record levels
At 6 p.m., St. Paul had the worst air quality in the United States. "I think it's fair to say probably this one now is the worst episode in the Twin Cities," an air quality meteorologist with the MPCA said as the agency expanded its advisory into central Minnesota until early Friday.
Summertime drought returns to Minnesota, with little rain in sight
Dry conditions across most of the state are worrying farmers and raising the risk of wildfires.
How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke when it returns to Minnesota this summer
As Canadian blazes send haze down to Minnesota, New York and elsewhere, there are ways to avoid the damage from fine particles in the air, experts said.
NorthMet copper nickel mine loses key permit over threat to tribal water quality
The mine project launched by PolyMet, now run by NewRange Copper Nickel, may have to significantly change its design to get a new wetlands permit.
Minnesota puts a cost estimate on getting toxic PFAS out of wastewater: At least $14 billion
The study offered a wide range of costs — up to $28 billion — to implement still-new technologies that would remove and destroy "forever chemicals" from wastewater.
Minnesota rule rewrite will expand mining noise and light protections around Boundary Waters
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources concluded it needs to expand a protective buffer around the Boundary Waters to protect the area from light and noise pollution.
Minnesota spends almost $9 million to stop mine pit from flooding Iron Range town
The appropriation for a permanent fix for the small town of Bovey was approved after decades of discussion on how to drain the Canisteo Mine Pit.
Minnesota spending $240M to get lead out of your plumbing
Homeowners may not see their pipes replaced immediately but should know in the next year whether their service lines are lead.
Hennepin County must plan to close incinerator or risk $26 million for organics recycling facility
A condition slipped into the state's infrastructure borrowing bill is a boon to activists.
Ellison asks feds to regulate health harms from gas kitchen stoves
Keith Ellison and nine other attorneys general asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to crack down on NO2 and other pollution from gas cooktops.
More wildfire smoke is headed for Minnesota — and could keep coming all summer
Canadian wildfires are burning earlier than expected this year and could bring poor air quality on and off through the summer.
Lawmakers reach historic deal on environment, climate, energy
The bill features a broad ban on PFAS and $1 billion in new spending for environment and energy projects.
Chrome plater will pay $1.4 million for PFAS contamination in Minneapolis lakes
Douglas Corp. in St. Louis Park has been a suspected source of PFAS and chromium for years, and agreed to a settlement with MPCA and DNR.
Rail deal means more hazardous materials sent through Twin Cities area
The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger will bring tens of thousands more carloads per year of hazardous materials.
Driver in St. Louis County dies after semi overturns, catches fire
Several agencies responded to try to put out the blaze.
Red Wing woman guilty of abandoning baby along Mississippi gets 27 years in prison
Jennifer Lynn Matter, 51, of Red Wing, admitted to leaving her child on a beach along Lake Pepin in December 2003.
Metal shredder with troubled environmental record says MPCA goes easy on competitors
Northern Metal Recycling filed suit against state regulators and Crow Wing Recycling.
Rising concerns about cancer from sterilizing gas prompt new pollution limits
A new EPA rule unveiled last week will limit by 84% ethylene oxide emissions from companies that clean medical instruments.
Are thousands of Americans being poisoned by 'forever chemicals' in their tap water?
Comments by EPA Administrator Michael Regan indicate a growing consensus that "forever chemicals" are taking a serious toll on Americans' health.
Why is it illegal to chase greased pigs in Minnesota?
This half-century-old law recently earned a spot as a question on "Jeopardy."
Mississippi River fish kill blamed on Monticello nuclear plant shutdown
The death of an estimated 230 fish in the river was caused by a quick change in water temperature, officials said.
Monticello leak of radioactive water was 6th worst of its kind
The well that first showed evidence of a tritium leak now shows levels about half the original amount, MPCA says
Xcel is cleaning up radioactive water spill at Monticello plant
Xcel and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency both said the 400,000-gallon spill posed no threat to drinking water or the nearby Mississippi River.
EPA acts to limit 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
Minnesota already has health standards for PFAS in drinking water.
Minnesota's weather observers add ground truth to forecasting
The CoCoRaHS rain and snow observation network has 20,000 members across the country, and Minnesota leads in adding new volunteers.
Cost of making Mpls. homes climate-friendly could top $1B
Weatherization and adding high-efficiency electrical appliances could cost up to $1.24 billion more than typical home fixes, the Center for Energy and the Environment says.
Minnesota could ban 'forever chemicals' from household items, firefighting foam
Bills to ban PFAS in household goods and require more reporting on what products contain them are moving through committees in the House and Senate
Hennepin County's incinerator faces pressure from environmental activists
Groups are pushing the county to stop burning trash at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center.
Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount is a top source of fish-harming element, report says
The facility has no limits on how much selenium it can release into the Mississippi River, but state officials said the pollution isn't harming overall water quality.
Minnesota investigating air pollution at metal shredders around state
Recyclers that tear up cars and appliances with hammermills are under the lens of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, officials said
2040 carbon-free energy bill advances to Walz for signature
The state Senate narrowly approved a requirement along party lines that utilities meet escalating carbon cuts over the next 17 years. The House passed the bill last week.
Race to destroy 'forever chemicals' could become a multibillion-dollar industry
Several companies, including Claros Technologies in Minnesota, are trying to engineer ways to destroy PFAS chemicals.
Northern Metal Recycling fined for air pollution violations at Becker plant
The metal shredder must install pollution control measures.
Biden administration imposes 20-year mining ban on 225,000 acres of northern Minnesota
The move follows a study that concluded mining could damage the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; Twin Metals mine had been slated for the area.
Trash at University of Minnesota's ReUse Program warehouse could be your treasure
The ReUse Program diverts hundreds of tons of material from landfills and incineration each year.
Woman whose son was found slain in car trunk indicted on first-degree murder charges
Julissa Thaler was already charged with second-degree murder.
Review frees Minnesota man imprisoned nearly 25 years
Thomas Rhodes was convicted of murdering his wife, but conviction review investigators say inaccurate testimony and withheld evidence wrongfully put him behind bars.
Minnesota DFLers push bills for carbon-free electricity by 2040
The 2040 standard would push utilities to ditch coal, natural gas and other planet-warming energy sources 10 years sooner than do current plans.
Minneapolis expands its network of sensors sniffing for toxic air
The city's air monitoring program is designed to bring data to residents, but some say more action is needed against industrial sites.
At stake in 2023 at the Capitol: Abortion, climate, marijuana, tax relief — and lots of cash to spend
We track the status of top issues in the 2023 legislative session.
Despite 3M's phase-out, issue of cleaning up PFAS remains
The company said last week it would no longer make the chemicals, which don't break down in the environment and linger in bodies. But researchers and advocates said the contamination would persist.
Minnesota paper company sues feds over beaver dam removal
Blandin Paper Co. claims in court documents the USDA caused significant flooding and damage when it removed a beaver dam in Itasca County in 2019.
Research suggests polar cold snaps are prodded by Arctic warming
While Minnesota is no stranger to blasts of cold winter air, systems like the one that has blanketed the United States this week may be linked to a warmer climate.
3M to end manufacture and use of 'forever chemicals' by 2025
3M will also "work to discontinue use of PFAS across our product portfolio" by 2025.
Minnesota's legal bill to defend challenges to PolyMet mine swells to $6.4 million
The state chose in 2015 to hire an outside firm to handle the challenges, but environmental groups question that decision, noting that the firm represents mining interests in the U.S. and around the world.
