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News Release | Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center

Minnesota gets an ‘F’ for efforts to address lead in school drinking water

St. Paul, MN – Reacting to pervasive lead contamination in schools’ drinking water, Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center gave Minnesota an "F" today for addressing the problem, according to a new national report.

“Schools should be safe places for our kids to learn and play, but Minnesota is still not doing enough to protect our kids from lead in drinking water,” said Tim Schaefer, State Director of Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center. “We need policies that actually get the lead out of faucets and fountains in our schools and pre-schools.”

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Report | Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center

Get the Lead Out 2019

Minnesota's children need safe drinking water – especially at school where they go to learn and play each day. Unfortunately, lead is still contaminating drinking water at schools and pre-schools across the state. As our report shows, Minnesota is failing to make the grade when it comes to keeping lead out of drinking water at school. Instead of waiting for more testing, we need to proactively remove the lead pipes and plumbing at the root of this toxic hazard for our children.

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News Release | Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center

New report highlights how toxic “accidents waiting to happen” threaten U.S. waterways

Facilities storing billions of gallons of toxic waste threaten America’s rivers and millions of people who live near them, according to a new report from the Environment Minnesota Research & Policy Center, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Frontier Group.

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News Release | Environment Minnesota Research and Policy Center

In Minnesota, and from Sea to Shining Sea, Mayors Call for Solar

Minneapolis, MN - Mayors from every U.S. state including Minnesota are embracing a vision for more solar energy in their communities, as stated in a letter released today by Environment Minnesota Research & Policy Center. The group of over 200 “Mayors for Solar Energy” represents cities and towns in states from Florida to Alaska, California to Maine, including Mayor Jacob Frey in Minneapolis.

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Report | Environment Minnesota Research & Policy Center

The State of Recycling in Minnesota

Recycling rates in major cities throughout Minnesota reveal one of the better states in the nation in terms of waste management. Yet, there is still plenty of room for improvement. According to the most recent study, Minnesota’s statewide recycling rate of 43.6 percent eclipses the 2015 national average of 34.7 percent. Part of Minnesota’s success can be attributed to the creation of specific goals and strategies. By 2030, Minnesota plans to achieve a 75 percent recycling rate for counties in the Twin Cities Metro area and a 35 percent rate in Greater Minnesota by 2030.

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