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MPR News is your source for environment news from Minnesota and across the country.

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Study suggests controversial pesticides may pose risks to fish populations, too

Study suggests controversial pesticides may pose risks to fish populations, too

New evidence from Japan's Lake Shinji suggests that the widely used family of pesticides called neonicotinoids, already controversial for harming pollinators, could pose risks to fish as well.
by Dan Charles

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DNR: Plan to ship Minnesota groundwater to the southwest won’t float

State conservation officials say there is “virtually no scenario” where they would let a Lakeville-based company pump 500 million gallons a year from one of the state’s oldest aquifers and ship it out by rail.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Judge OKs Water Gremlin reopening amid deal over lead cleanup

Judge OKs Water Gremlin reopening amid deal over lead cleanup

The White Bear Township fishing tackle and battery components maker can reopen Tuesday now that state regulators and the company have a safety plan in place on lead contamination.
by Matt Sepic

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Duluth, Minneapolis push for state’s first fees on disposable bags

Duluth, Minneapolis push for state’s first fees on disposable bags

Minneapolis’ ordinance would charge a nickel for all disposable bags. Duluth’s would only apply to plastic bags. The proposals come two years after state lawmakers blocked the efforts of Minneapolis and other cities to impose outright bans on plastic bags.
by Dan Kraker

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Keystone oil pipeline leaks 383,000 gallons in North Dakota

TC Energy's Keystone pipeline has leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons of oil in northeastern North Dakota, marking the second massive spill in two years along the line that carries Canadian tar sands oil through seven states, regulators said Thursday.
by The Associated Press

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Water Gremlin, state meet in Ramsey County court over closure of the plant

Water Gremlin, state meet in Ramsey County court over closure of the plant

The White Bear Township company makes car battery terminals and fishing weights out of lead. Lead can be difficult to control without a strict program that workers and management follow, industry experts say.
by Matt Sepic

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Environmentalists push Minnesota to ban lead bullets, tackle over health concerns

Environmentalists push Minnesota to ban lead bullets, tackle over health concerns

“We all know that lead is bad for people, it’s bad for wildlife. It’s just not something that should be voluntarily introduced to our environment by hunters and fishermen and others,” the petition author says.
by Cody Nelson

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E-cigarette fire risk leads Hennepin Co. to curb battery recycling

E-cigarette fire risk leads Hennepin Co. to curb battery recycling

The county is ending battery recycling at city and county buildings, libraries, schools, and community centers. The change came after a vaping pen started smoldering in one battery recycling receptacle, forcing the Westonka Library to call the fire department.
by MPR News Staff

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