Environmental News

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

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

Getting to Green is an MPR News series that shares stories about Minnesota’s clean energy transition, including what needs to be done to get there.

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Climate Cast

Listen to Climate Cast, the MPR News podcast all about our changing climate and its impact in Minnesota and worldwide.

Drop in water temperature causes fish kill near Monticello nuclear power plant
Authorities say fluctuating water temperatures in the Mississippi River following the shutdown of Xcel Energy’s Monticello nuclear power plant have killed more than 200 fish. Company and state officials said the fish kill is not the result of tritium.
Warming-fueled supercells will hit the southern U.S. more often, a study warns
America will probably get more killer tornado- and hail-spawning supercells as the world warms, according to a new study that also warns the lethal storms will edge eastward to strike more frequently.
Train derails in rural North Dakota and spills chemical south of Fargo
Authorities say there is no threat to public safety, and there were no injuries or fire. Over 30 of the 70 cars on the train left the tracks around 11:15 p.m. Sunday, and some of the cars leaked liquid asphalt. But there are no waterways near where the derailment happened.
What we know about the Monticello nuclear plant tritium leak
State and Xcel officials announced earlier this month that 400,000 gallons of water contaminated with tritium leaked from a water pipe between two buildings at the the Monticello nuclear power plant. MPR News asked what questions you have about tritium, water safety and nuclear power. Here’s what we found out.
Canada pledges Great Lakes funding after Trudeau-Biden talks
Some members of the U.S. Congress and advocacy groups had complained that Canada has done too little to help clean up the lakes, which suffer from industrial toxins, invasive species, harmful algae and other problems.
Bayport riverside residents prepare for possible flooding
The National Weather Service said major flooding is likely in several areas of Minnesota this year. In the town of Bayport, just south of Stillwater, residents who live close to the St. Croix River are doing what they can now to prepare for high water.
On Madeline Island, residents aim to preserve their ferry lifeline
A warming climate and the gradual loss of the ice road on Lake Superior has made the Madeline Island Ferry an even more essential lifeline for residents and tourists. Now the town of La Pointe, Wis., is trying to buy the service to ensure it runs well into the future.