Watchdog says PFAS found in 100% of Minnesota water testing sites

Local News Watchdog says PFAS found in 100% of Minnesota water testing sites By WCCO Staff, Maria Lisignoli Maria Lisignoli Streaming Anchor Maria Lisignoli helped launch the Live Desk as the first Streaming Anchor in the Twin Cities. Monday through Friday, she provides hourly updates on live events, breaking news, and top stories. She's been with WCCO since 2024. Read Full Bio Maria Lisignoli October 14, 2026 / 2:59 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota Add CBS News on Google Minnesota's chapter of the Environment America Research and Policy Center says all of the 91 waterways across the state it tested for PFAS came back positive for some level of contamination.Experts say forever chemicals can have a major impact on your health, compromising immunity, decreasing fertility, causing developmental delays in children and increasing the risk of certain kinds of cancers.  "As one of the nation's longest rivers, the Mississippi supports a number of complex ecosystems across Minnesota, providing habitats for bass and catfish, mammals like otters, beavers and muskrats and countless other animals," Rolfes said. "We shouldn't have to worry about tainted drinking water or catching and eating contaminated fish."   The 91 testing sites in Minnesota that showed PFAS contamination. WCCO Rolfes says a lot of the PFAS discharge comes from sewage sludge on farm lands, but also the 3M facility in Hastings."These results are likely just the tip of the toxic iceberg since sources we used may not include all PFAS data in Minnesota," she said. Experts say they are especially concerned about the areas that are contaminated even when there's no clear source of forever chemicals.   Water flows in the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota, down river from 3M's Cottage Grove factory, which had churned out varieties of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, of PFAS, for decades. WCCO In 2024, 3M agreed to a country-wide, multi-billion-dollar settlement over PFAS-related water pollution.  Kris Hansen, a former 3M employee, told WCCO that same year the Maplewood-based company knew about the dangers caused by PFAS as far back as 1975. 3M only moved to discontinue PFAS manufacturing in 2022, ceasing all usage of the forever chemical just last year. In: Mississippi River Water Conservation PFAS Pollution 3M Forever Chemicals Featured Local Savings Atlanta-area boil water advisory lifted after tests find no contamination Minnesota school mourns 3 deaths in a matter of days Proposition 137 would divert tax dollars toward wildfire prevention, conservation Cecil County neighbors demand action after nearly 11,000 fish killed in Basin Run Woman remains missing after her vehicle found crashed near Huron River NJ Transit riders cope with commute changes as Portal Bridge construction finishes up GKN Aerospace settles with DA after Garden Grove chemical crisis Service changes begin on NJ Transit due to Portal Bridge construction