Connecting Communities

Communities across the U.S. are responding to the PFAS contamination crisis by organizing and advocating for safe drinking water. This map shows sites with known contamination and where organizations are working for stronger health and environmental protections. Plug into a group working in your community, form a new group, or connect with others facing similar challenges.

Connecting Communities > United States > Minnesota

Is there a PFAS contamination site near you? Use our interactive map to find out.

  • Each red dot represents a site contaminated with PFAS.
  • Click on a dot to learn more about the site.
  • Click on a state to get information about all sites as well as community groups, health studies, and resources available in that state.

* This map focuses on sites where PFAS have been detected in the environment (groundwater, soil, and surface water), or in drinking water where the contamination is linked to a specific source and not merely the result of testing a water supply system.

Connect with Minnesota

LEGEND
PFAS Contamination Site

Information about contamination sites comes from the PFAS Contamination Site Tracker, a project of the PFAS Project Lab at the Northeastern University.

Minnesota Contamination Areas

  1. 3M's Cottage Grove facility and landfills
    The 3M Company's Cottage Grove facility
    Location  Washington County, Minnesota (Cottage Grove, Woodbury, Oakdale, Lake Elmo)
    Date  2006
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing

  2. Bemidji
    Firefighting foam used at Bemidji Regional Airport
    Location  Bemidji, Minnesota
    Date  2011
    PFAS contamination source  Civilian Airport

  3. Brainerd
    Location  Brainerd, Crow Wing County, Minnesota
    PFAS contamination source  Industry / Manufacturing



If you know about a contamination site in your state that is not shown on the map, fill out this form to have it added. Check back for updates about your state!

Minnesota Community Groups

We are not aware of any community groups in this state addressing PFAS issues.



​​​​​​If you are involved in a community organization working on PFAS and you don’t see your group listed, click here to have your group added to this page. 

If there are no community groups in your state, try contacting the National PFAS Contamination Coalition—a network of community groups working to address PFAS contamination across the country. You can also contact a coalition member near you to learn more and get involved.

Minnesota PFAS Exposure and Health Studies

  1. East Metro PFC Biomonitoring Project
    Location  Oakdale, Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove, MN
    Status  Complete
    Learn more at https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/biomonitoring/projects/pfas.html  
    Date  2008-2014
    Type of study  Biomonitoring study on PFAS levels in residents of East Metro area
    Study conducted by  Minnesota Department of Health
    PFAS contamination source  Disposal of PFAS contaminated waste



Some states have conducted their own blood testing to understand people's exposure to PFAS in areas with contaminated drinking water. In the fall of 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry launched a national health study on PFAS involving multiple communities across the country.

Do you know about a health study in your state that is not listed here? Fill out this form to have it added!

Wondering if a health study is right for your community? Boston University’s Department of Environmental Health has a guide for making informed decisions.





What should you do if you happen to live or work near a PFAS contamination site?

  • Ask your local water supplier if they have tested the drinking water for PFAS and how they have reported (or failed to report) the results to the public.
  • If you have a private well, get your water tested. See our drinking water fact sheet to learn how.
  • Being close to a contamination site does not necessarily mean your drinking water is also contaminated. If you have questions or concerns, contact your state environmental or health department. Also see our list of resources for more information.

Information about contamination sites comes from the PFAS Contamination Site Tracker, a project of the PFAS Project Lab at Northeastern University. The tracker records qualitative and quantitative data from each known site of PFAS contamination, including a timeline of discovery, sources, levels, health impacts, and community and government responses. All data presented in the map were extracted from government websites, news articles, or publicly available documents, and are cited in the tracker.

If you know about a contamination site that is not shown on the map, fill out this form to have it added. Check back for updates!

The Environmental Working Group also maintains a map of PFAS contamination in the US. This map includes additional locations where PFAS were found in drinking water but the point source of contamination is unknown.