All Minnesotans deserve to live in conditions that support a healthy and fulfilling life. One important part of this is living in an environment with clean air, clean water and unpolluted land.
Working to achieve this is at the heart of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s mission to protect and improve our environment and enhance human health.
The MPCA is committed to making sure that pollution does not have a disproportionate impact on any group of people — the principle of environmental justice. This means that all people — regardless of their race, color, national origin or income — benefit from equal levels of environmental protection and have opportunities to participate in decisions that may affect their environment or health.
New environmental justice advisory group
On Sept 6, 2016, MPCA commissioner John Linc Stine announced the formation of an Environmental Justice Advisory Group to provide recommendations and feedback to fully incorporate environmental justice principles into the agency’s work. This group will meet periodically to provide advice to the Commissioner and oversight related to implementation of our 
Environmental Justice Framework 2015-2018 (p-gen5-05).
MPCA's Environmental Justice Framework
Our vision, strategies, and implementation actions for integrating environmental justice principles into our work.
This framework represents our commitment to act using our expertise, relationships, and resources to focus our work where it will have the greatest effect in reducing the impact of environmental pollution. It provides direction and guidance to modify our practices and integrate environmental justice principles into our work over the next three years. In collaboration with others, we expect to build on this initial framework and continually look for ways to improve our implementation of its strategies. Please join us as we strive for a better Minnesota.
MPCA's environmental justice policy
The MPCA will, within its authority, strive for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.
Meaningful involvement means that:
- People have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health;
- The public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision;
- Their concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and
- The decision makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.
The above concept is embraced as the understanding of environmental justice by the MPCA.
Policy, notice, and procedures
- MPCA Environmental Justice Policy
- Excerpt from Environmental Justice Joint Priority from MPCA/EPA Environmental Performance Partnership Agreement 2013-16
- MPCA Commissioner Letter to Environmental Justice Stakeholders
- Notice of Nondiscrimination
- Grievance Procedures Related to Civil Rights
Tribal relations
Recognizing and supporting the unique status of Minnesota Tribal Nations, and to facilitate meaningful and timely consultation between the MPCA and Tribes, the MPCA has developed guidance on air and water permit consultation with Tribal Nations.
Tribal contacts
MPCA staff assist the agency's Tribal Liaison with maintaining current information on tribal contacts for receiving air and water permit notices (per the established MPCA Guidance on Air Quality Permit Consultation with Indian Tribal Governments).
Who to call
Sign up for our Environmental Justice Issues newsletter on GovDelivery or contact Ned Brooks, MPCA’s Environmental Justice Coordinator at 651-757-2557 or ned.brooks@state.mn.us
Other resources
Environmental justice advocacy organizations
MPCA staff work to establish and maintain relationships with organizations and community groups. If you wish to be added or removed from the list, please send your request to the listed MPCA environmental justice contact.
The following environmental organizations are involved in environmental equity:
- Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
- Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota
- Land Stewardship Project
- North American Water Office
- Sierra Club — Minnesota North Star Chapter
- Women's Environmental Institute
- Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy
- Neighborhoods Organizing for Change
MPCA
- What’s in My Neighborhood? is a Web-based mapping and text-based search tools containing information on soil and groundwater contamination sites within the state; includes properties that have been investigated and cleaned up as well as properties that are currently enrolled in MPCA cleanup programs.
- Air Emissions Risk Analysis (AERA)
Minnesota Department of Health
Risk assessment (MDH)Contains information on the human health effects of exposures to hazardous chemicals and other substances, including information on air and groundwater contaminants, risks in homes and schools, fish advisories, and children’s environmental health. Provides information on ways to prevent and reduce exposures to environmental health hazards.
State Demographic Center
- Minnesota State Demographic Center within the state Department of Administration analyzes and distributes data from state, Census Bureau, and other sources.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Environmental justice (U.S. EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency supports the principles of environmental justice: the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
- EJSCREEN (U.S. EPA)
Uses high-resolution maps combined with demographic and environmental data to identify places with potentially higher environmental burdens and vulnerable populations. EJSCREEN's color-coded maps, bar charts, and reports enable users to better understand areas in need of increased environmental protection, health care access, housing, infrastructure improvement, community revitalization, and climate resilience.
- EnviroMapper for Envirofacts (U.S. EPA)
A powerful tool used to map various types of environmental information, including air releases, drinking water, toxic releases, hazardous wastes, water discharge permits, and Superfund sites. Users can select a geographic area within EnviroMapper and view the different facilities that are present within that area. EnviroMapper can be used to create maps at the national, state, and county levels, and link them to environmental text reports. Users can even insert dynamically created maps in their own Web pages.
- MyEnvironment search (U.S. EPA)
Application provides a cross-section of environmental information based on the user's location.
- NATA | National Air Toxics Assessment (U.S. EPA)
U.S. EPA's ongoing comprehensive evaluation of air toxics. The NATA was developed as a state-of-the-science screening tool to help prioritize pollutants, emission sources and locations of interest for further study in order to gain a better understanding of risks.