The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Thursday said a 3,000-plus page final environmental impact statement for the project is “adequate,” so PolyMet can now start applying for permits to build the mine. Read more →
MPR News Share your insight
Environment/Energy
As water scarcity continues to be a problem in some areas of Minnesota, other areas of the country have turned to drinking treated wastewater. Will the process gain traction locally? Read more →
It’s been seven years since the passing of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy amendment. Today we reach out to the Minnesota Clean Water Council and the Water Resources Center to check in on the amendment’s effectiveness. Read more →

A handful of researchers allied with the meat industry say that that “grass fed” and “organic” labels don’t actually tell you much about how a producer is raising animals, nor are they really representative of the best environmental practices in the industry. Read more →

Today’s question: How has the Wilderness Act affected your life? Read more →

David George Gordon, aka the Bug Chef, predicts that bugs will become a larger part of the global diet as food resources diminish and eating protein like steak will become a luxury. Read more →
Per capita daily water use Household water use tends to be greater in outlying suburbs than elsewhere in the Twin Cities. Because lawn watering makes up a huge portion of water use, the figures depend heavily on lot size, tree cover and other factors. Click for details on each city. Most cities with more than Read more →

As Mark Steil’s story today pointed out, nitrates in Minnesota’s groundwater is of increasing concern. The causes can be complex but for years, farm fertilizer has been considered a prime component in the contamination, resulting as excess nutrients leach down into shallow aquifers. At any rate, residents and municipalities are spending big money to deal Read more →

The Department of Natural Resources is in the process of opening some of the state’s 160 designated Scientific and Natural Areas to hunting and trapping. The areas currently don’t allow pets, camping or swimming. The Star Tribune’s Tony Kennedy interviewed former DNR managers Bob Djupstrom and Ellen Fuge about the land use change. “These are Read more →

You may have heard or read some of our coverage Tuesday on lessons Tucson, Ariz., may have for water use in Minnesota. That’s a city that has grown substantially yet kept water consumption flat through a variety of conservation and reuse measures. The city encourages greywater use and rainwater capture; it recycles treated wastewater through Read more →