Eagan residents voice frustrations over Gopher Resource pollution, delayed notification
After a monthslong push for more transparency, a community exposed to elevated lead emissions earlier this year was able to get some answers from investigators.
In July, Eagan residents were told that a nearby battery recycling business was putting pollution in the air. WCCO Investigates found the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency could have alerted people sooner.
Residents are now trying to figure out where to go from here. The community exposed to elevated lead emissions got a meeting they pushed for Wednesday night, during which state pollution and health agencies answered questions about Gopher Resource.
Neighbors living near Gopher Resource say their health has already been put at risk and they won't accept silence from state officials next time pollution levels spike.
A community group, Eagan Neighbors for Clean Air, formed as a result of pollution emissions from the plant. The group shared health concerns and some even called for the plant to be shut down.
"We have the evidence," resident David Satre said. "We have lead in the soil, we have found arsenic in our soil. And the amount of people that I've talked to who have cancer in this neighborhood is astounding."
"Unfortunately, these investigations do not happen quickly. And I would say this one is especially thorough," Courtney Ahlers-Nelson with the MPCA said.
While residents were informed of this in July, the pollution happened months earlier.
Many on Wednesday expressed frustration to state officials about notifying them late. Some residents asked for real-time monitoring because of that.