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…