Gopher Resource pollution in Eagan: Lawmaker calls for investigation into MPCA response

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Photo from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency shows the area of focus for elevated lead levels in Eagan. (Supplied)

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - After Eagan residents were unknowingly breathing in lead for months, a Minnesota House representative is calling for a special review of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) response to the toxins detected at the Gopher Resource recycling center. 

READ MORE: Eagan residents warned of elevated lead levels coming from Gopher Resource

Lawmaker calls for special review of MPCA response 

What they're saying:

Minnesota House Representative Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) said he will request the Office of the Legislative Auditor to conduct a special review of the MPCA's response to lead air pollution that had been coming from Gopher Resource for months. 

Rep. Hansen shared this statement on the issue:

"Minnesotans deserve clean air, and they need to have confidence that the state is doing everything possible to protect them from reckless corporations that pollute our air for private profit. That’s why I’m calling for a special review of the MPCA’s response to elevated lead levels at Gopher Resources. We’ve seen this story before; whether with the Water Gremlin facility in White Bear Lake or Smith Foundry in Minneapolis. In previous years, DFLers have passed important legislation protecting Minnesotans from air pollution. We must ensure that our agencies are doing everything possible to prioritize public health when it comes to air pollution in our communities, and the safety of the workers who may be exposed to this dangerous pollution." 

Rep. Hansen is referring to the settlement reached between Minnesota and Water Gremlin that happened after more than two years of court battles. 

The Smith Foundry in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis shut down in August 2024 after several issues with the MPCA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Hansen is a member and former chair of the Legislative Audit Commission. He also chaired the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee from 2019-2025.

Elevated lead levels in Eagan

The backstory:

Officials from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said elevated lead levels were detected earlier this year at Gopher Resource in Eagan. 

Residents received a letter earlier this month saying that Gopher Resource, a recycling center that prepares scrap, smelts, refines, and casts products that contain lead, such as batteries, had higher-than-acceptable lead readings in the air from January to March 2025. 

In April, lead levels reportedly returned to "acceptable levels according to the federal standards that protect human health and the environment."  

The state then issued Gopher Resource a notice of violation for exceeding lead air quality standards on May 29, 2025.

Letters notifying Eagan residents about the elevated lead levels were then sent out in July.  

The MPCA said its data from air modeling show that elevated lead levels covered a 0.75-mile radius around the facility. 

In the same news release, the Minnesota Department of Health notes that "no amount of lead in the body is safe." Officials add that even small amounts of lead can be harmful, especially for children. 

The highest lead levels were reportedly concentrated along the facility's northern property line.

The MPCA said data from the area around Gopher Resource has not shown higher-than-normal levels of lead in children. 

What's next:

State and Dakota County officials will host a community meeting at the Eagan Community Center at 6 p.m. on July 22. 

Gopher Resource did not say if it plans to have a representative at the meeting. 

Officials say there will also be drop-off soil testing services available at the meeting. Information on how to do so can be found here. 

Soil samples can also be submitted through a drop box at the Dakota County Wescott Library, which will be open from 9 a.m. on July 14 to 3 p.m. on July 18. 

The Minnesota Department of Health is expected to analyze soil samples within two weeks.