Independent review of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's pollution notification in Eagan

WCCO Investigates has learned a state watchdog is taking a closer look at the community's concerns surrounding pollution problems at a battery recycling plant and the state agency that oversees it.

There's now an independent, special review of when the state pollution control agency notified the public about Gopher Resource's excessive lead air emissions. WCCO told you about the pollution problem in Eagan last year.  

The MPCA first notified people living near the battery plant that it exceeded lead air quality standards last July. But the exposure happened months earlier—between January and March of 2025. There was an outcry from neighbors about the delayed notice during community meetings, including its impact on medical testing.

Last August, Ryan Franke said, "We're angry because the blood test that would have shown the impact on our bodies from the release is now not an effective means to measure that impact on our bodies."

WCCO Investigates discovered that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency could have alerted people whose health was at risk from lead exposure sooner. The EPA telling WCCO that the state did not have to wait three months to do so per federal law, as the agency had told concerned residents. 

MPCA told WCCO:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency remains committed to protecting human health and the environment. We are working with the Office of Legislative Auditor to respond to their questions. Because the investigation involving Gopher Resource is ongoing and because the review with the OLA is ongoing, we cannot comment further.

The state watchdog tells WCCO it expects to release its findings early next year.

Gopher Resource said it quickly fixed the source of the lead pollution last year and subsequent inspections found the problem had been resolved.