MISSION STATEMENT:
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is a nonprofit organization that uses law, science and research to protect Minnesota's environment, its natural resources and the health of its people.
MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS
Clean Energy and Climate: MCEA’S climate team strives to achieve equitable, economy-wide greenhouse gas reductions, while encouraging community and institutional resilience to adapt to unavoidable climate change. MCEA was instrumental in the coalition that supported major updates to the state’s policies on climate change at the state legislature in 2023, including updated goals for reducing greenhouse gases and a rapid transition to 100% clean energy. MCEA’s legal and policy experts work to enforce and implement those new laws by supporting long-term development of modern and sustainable energy sources for Minnesota and shifting away from fossil fuel use to reduce carbon pollution. To support this goal, MCEA serves as legal counsel for several Minnesota clean energy organizations.
Northeast Minnesota Program: This program works to protect the land, water, and people of Northeastern Minnesota, and to promote a safe and healthy future for all Northeastern Minnesotans. MCEA works to protect Northeastern Minnesota communities and waters from mining pollution, especially sulfide mining pollution, by holding state agencies accountable in permitting and enforcement processes. MCEA also works to protect and enhance Northeastern Minnesota lands, forests, and biodiversity, especially for climate resilience. This program is designed to partner with local communities most affected by historic pollution, and build bridges to new partners, including those with whom our views may not always align.
Water Quality: MCEA’s water program focuses on protecting Minnesota’s greatest natural resource and economic asset. Minnesotans rely on our water for drinking, recreation, travel, a wide variety of economic activity, and well-being. MCEA works to protect surface and groundwater by securing more effective controls on “forever chemicals,” agricultural runoff, and pollution. MCEA also seeks to protect Lake Superior from the dual threats of pollution and invasive species. MCEA partners with communities to protect local drinking water sources from a wide range of threats that undermine public health.
Healthy Communities: Environmental harms fall more heavily on some communities that are historically and disproportionately affected by environmental impacts and pollution. In these areas, environmental laws are ignored or enforced in such a way to protect polluters, not the community. MCEA’s advocacy focuses on building and protecting healthy communities for all. The Healthy Communities program leverages MCEA’s legal skills, organizational resources, and access to decision-makers to build power for communities and fight for environmental justice alongside our partners. MCEA is proud to have dedicated and general funding to support its environmental justice work and aims to integrate environmental justice principles into every aspect of its work.
MAJOR PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Strict limits for PFAS secured
MCEA helped secure strict PFAS limits for an industrial wastewater permit for a 3M plant, the first such permit in the state and one of the first in the country. As a result, 3M is currently building a $300M wastewater treatment facility, must publish monthly reports on its website,and have an annual community meeting to share its cleanup work. The permit sets important precedent: there are more than 50 types of industry known to discharge PFAS, many with facilities across Minnesota, and none other than 3M are currently required to limit the PFAS they discharge to Minnesota waters. The successful 3M permit gives us a template for future permits.
State re-evaluates rules for nitrate pollution
We settled a lawsuit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to address the longstanding problem of nitrate pollution impairing drinking water in Southeastern Minnesota due to large-scale agriculture manure and fertilizer. As part of the agreement, MPCA and MDA will review the effectiveness of their rules overseeing nitrate and water pollution issues. This lawsuit has significant co-benefits for the climate, as manure and commercial fertilizer release a considerable amount of methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon. The lawsuit has been the result of deep collaboration with impacted communities, in particular the Minnesota Well Owners Association, a co-plaintiff on the case.
Problematic 100% law decision appealed
MCEA staff remain deeply engaged in the interpretation and rulemaking process of the 100% Clean Energy by 2040 law. We have been working with a broader coalition of voices on the 100% dockets and will continue to build engagement and effective collaboration strategies. In February 2025 we appealed the problematic decision by the PUC that burning biomass or garbage may be considered carbon free, which would significantly weaken the 100% law and have significant environmental justice implications. The appeal was stayed while the PUC considers a related docket regarding the lifecycle of garbage and biomass, and one of our attorneys is deeply engaged in that docket as well.
More renewable energy to be built
We celebrated a big victory in September 2024 when MCEA reached a settlement with Xcel during the planning process when they determine the mix of new power sources they will build to meet demand. Xcel had proposed six new gas plants, but we negotiated this down to one, along with new wind and solar power. The new gas plant will be used only intermittently as a supplement to renewables on the hottest and coldest days, during peak demand.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND POPULATION SERVED
The entire state and population of Minnesota
Fiscal Year 2025 MCEA Board of Directors
Financial data for FY 2025 annual report
TOTAL REVENUE: $5,681,730
SOURCES OF REVENUE:
Contributions: $4,633,364
Program Services, Investment and Other: $1,048,366
TOTAL EXPENSES: $3,993,905
FUNCTIONAL EXPENSE ALLOCATION:
Program expenses: $2,991,184
Management and Administration: $410,923
Fundraising: $591,798
TOTAL COST FOR EACH MAJOR PROGRAM:
Clean Energy and Climate Change: $1,167,188
Northeast Minnesota: $606,591
Water Quality: $681,515
Healthy Communities: $535,890