Advocates rally for Ford hazardous waste cleanup

On Jan. 15, 2026, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) held a community meeting to discuss the cleanup of Area C, Ford Motor Company’s hazardous waste dump on the Mississippi floodplain in St. Paul. 

This was part of the MPCA's last period of public input before the agency decides what scale of action to require of Ford. Here's a recap of what we heard at the meeting, including a few twists from the MPCA that FMR takes issue with.

Community, elected officials call for a full cleanup

Before the meeting began, FMR held an energetic rally outside the building. Around 50 River Guardians joined to call for a full cleanup of Area C. Several community members spoke, including both state legislators for the area — Rep. Dave Pinto and Sen. Erin Murphy shared their support for requiring Ford to fully clean up its dump.

While they were not able to attend the event, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Ward 3 Councilmember Saura Jost also support a full cleanup. Councilmember Jost will be asking the city council to vote on a resolution soon calling for a full cleanup at Area C. Congresswoman Betty McCollum has also asked the MPCA to pursue a full cleanup. 

MPCA plans partial cleanup

To an audience of over 100 people, the MPCA presented an overview of the site’s history and monitoring results. Agency representatives explained their rationale for recommending a partial cleanup of the site before taking questions from the audience. (The agency held a similar virtual meeting on Jan. 21.)

The MPCA is using a feasibility study process to evaluate several cleanup options for Area C. This study, which Ford produced for the agency's review, includes a range of actions, their costs, and how effectively Ford believes each would address the risks. Ford will be required to implement and pay for whatever action the MPCA selects.

We were surprised to hear MPCA staff state that "no contaminated groundwater is discharging to the river" from the dump.

In the past, the MPCA has consistently stated that hazardous substances from Area C are reaching the river. The releases are inconsistent, and at levels low enough that the MPCA considers them safe, but they are present. We do not know why the MPCA interprets the same monitoring data differently now. 

In addition to the hazardous waste, the dump’s other risks include construction debris spread across its surface (such as concrete, asphalt, and steel rebar) and the pile’s steep, eroding slopes. 

MPCA staff shared that they are recommending a partial cleanup of Area C. In the feasibility study, this is referred to as Alternative 4, Removal of Accessible Waste and Site Stabilization. The project will include removing hazardous waste near the surface of the pile (along the south slope adjoining Hidden Falls Park), removing surface debris, and installing some erosion controls.

The majority of the hazardous waste will remain ensconced in the middle of the pile, requiring ongoing monitoring and erosion repair indefinitely. Ford estimates the cost for Alternative 4 at $8.8 million.

MPCA could require full cleanup

FMR and many community members have urged the MPCA to require Ford to do a full cleanup of the site (Alternative 6 in the study), which would cost $71 million. The MPCA says that because it doesn’t believe the hazardous waste poses a risk to human or environmental health, it doesn’t have the authority to require such a costly action. 

We disagree. The MPCA can hold a polluter fully responsible for permanent, full cleanup under state Superfund law. The environmental attorney who has advised FMR for years on Area C believes that the site can and should be held to the Superfund standard. 

The risk to the public is not only about the hazardous waste. If Ford is allowed to leave its mess behind, we also risk that any future cleanup costs will be borne by taxpayers. Ford is currently one of the nation’s largest corporations, and its net profits in 2024 were $5.9 billion. A full cleanup would cost just over 1 percent of that. But if Ford’s fortunes change and they walk away from their responsibilities, the public will be on the hook.

Advocacy for the river continues

Hundreds of community members have spoken up for Area C by signing our petition, contacting the MPCA and attending tours and presentations by FMR staff. 

Our work isn’t done. We are still pressing MPCA leaders and public officials to hold Ford responsible for a full cleanup. We are pleased to have secured the support of St. Paul's federal, state and city elected leaders. Next, FMR will be meeting with MPCA Commissioner Katrina Kessler at the end of February to ask her to listen to community feedback and pursue a full cleanup. 

The agency plans to finalize the details of its cleanup plan with Ford in 2026 so that work can begin in 2027. If the MPCA doesn't ultimately require a full cleanup right now, the agency still has the authority to reopen that decision at any point in the future.

FMR and our partners will continue to monitor the site's condition and groundwater testing results. And we will advocate for the clean future at Area C that our river deserves.

In the meantime, if you are a resident of St. Paul, please tell your city council member to support the forthcoming resolution for a full cleanup of Area C using the form below.