St. Louis, MN

High Risk (61/100)

Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.

Environmental data for St. Louis in Minnesota · Population: 200,056

TRI sites such as Me Global Inc; Hibbard Renewable Energy Center; Cirrus Design Corp/cirrus Aircraft; SDWIS systems such as Duluth; Hibbing; Virginia; NPL sites such as Arrowhead Refinery Co.; St. Louis River Site anchor St. Louis, MN's EPA extract. Derived burden score 61/100 (High Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.

Health-flagged SDWIS rows in St. Louis include Duluth; Eveleth; Biwabik, while Me Global Inc leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 39 / peak 114 in 2024.

Burden score 61/100 (High Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for St. Louis -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.

Release-over-release change

What changed for St. Louis, MN: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-30.0%

17 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-30.0%

435.1 thousand lb → 304.7 thousand lb, every facility that filed

Between the two reporting years, 0 facilities filed for the first time and 2 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.

  • St. Louis, MN's total reported releases fell from 435.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 304.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • St. Louis, MN's air releases fell from 189.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 73.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • St. Louis, MN's chemicals reported fell from 28 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • St. Louis, MN's off-site transfers fell from 245.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 231.0 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
200,056
TRI Facilities
22
Water Systems
29
Superfund Sites
2
Total Releases
1.5M lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 286 (78%) 77 3 114
2023 221 (61%) 136 6 286
2022 322 (88%) 43 0 75
2021 283 (78%) 72 8 159
2020 279 (76%) 86 1 104
2024 Good Air Quality: 78% of days
Unhealthy days: 3
Median AQI: 39

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Minnesota, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (29)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
Duluth 86,859 1
Hibbing 16,028 0
Virginia 8,361 0
Hermantown 7,215 0
Chisholm 4,940 0
Eveleth 3,770 2
Proctor 3,099 0
Mountain Iron 2,880 0
Hoyt Lakes 2,020 0
Gilbert 1,829 0
Aurora 1,764 0
White Township 1,559 0
Babbitt 1,379 0
Rice Lake 1,085 0
Buhl 1,000 0
Biwabik 975 4
Cook 574 0
Fayal Township 565 0
Floodwood 501 0
Breitung 446 1
Tower 426 4
Orr 249 0
Kinney 154 0
Meadowlands 135 2
McKinley 110 0
Iron Junction 87 0
MN Correctional Facility - Togo 75 0
Iron Bowl MHP 44 0
Lakeland Terrace Mobile Home Park 42 0

TRI Facilities (22)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Me Global Inc 700.2K lbs
2 Hibbard Renewable Energy Center 284.8K lbs
3 Cirrus Design Corp/cirrus Aircraft 228.5K lbs
4 Mn Twist Drill Aquisition LLC 142.6K lbs
5 Duluth Paper Mill 87.5K lbs
6 Hibbing Renewable Energy Center 74.9K lbs
7 L&m Radiator Inc 9.2K lbs
8 Compass Minerals America Inc 8.0K lbs
9 Detroit Reman-Dmr Electronics 854 lbs
10 Northern Foundry 787 lbs
11 Federal Prison Camp 702 lbs
12 Virginia Public Utilities 315 lbs
13 Dyno Nobel Inc 132 lbs
14 CAST7 LLC 120 lbs
15 Altec Industries Inc. 109 lbs
16 Primary Products Ingredients Americas LLC - Duluth 55 lbs
17 Gerdau Ameristeel US Inc 6 lbs
18 Irathane Systems-Minnesota LLC 1 lbs
19 Austin Powder Mining LLC 0 lbs
20 Lake States Lumber Inc. 0 lbs
21 Hirel Systems LLC 0 lbs
22 Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. 0 lbs

Superfund Sites (2)

Site Name Status HRS Score
Arrowhead Refinery Co. Deleted NPL Site 43.75
St. Louis River Site NPL Site 32.08

Cities in St. Louis (25)

Duluth
11 facilities · 2 water
Hibbing
7 facilities · 1 water
Virginia
2 facilities · 1 water
Biwabik
1 facilities · 1 water
Chisholm
1 facilities · 1 water
Aurora
0 facilities · 2 water
Eveleth
0 facilities · 2 water
Gilbert
0 facilities · 2 water
Tower
0 facilities · 2 water
Babbitt
0 facilities · 1 water
Buhl
0 facilities · 1 water
Cook
0 facilities · 1 water
Floodwood
0 facilities · 1 water
Hermantown
0 facilities · 1 water
Hoyt Lakes
0 facilities · 1 water
Iron
0 facilities · 1 water
Iron Junction
0 facilities · 1 water
Kinney
0 facilities · 1 water
Mckinley
0 facilities · 1 water
Meadowlands
0 facilities · 1 water
Mountain Iron
0 facilities · 1 water
Orr
0 facilities · 1 water
Proctor
0 facilities · 1 water
Togo
0 facilities · 1 water
St. Louis County
0 facilities · 0 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in St. Louis, Minnesota?
St. Louis, MN has an environmental risk score of 61/100 (High Risk), based on 22 TRI facilities, 2 Superfund sites, and 29 water systems on record. 6 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in St. Louis?
Yes, St. Louis, MN has 2 Superfund sites on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL). Superfund sites are contaminated locations that require long-term cleanup under the EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
How many toxic release facilities are in St. Louis?
St. Louis, MN has 22 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 1.5M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in St. Louis?
In 2024, St. Louis, MN recorded a median AQI of 39 and a peak AQI of 114. 78% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in St. Louis?
St. Louis, MN has 29 EPA-regulated water systems. 6 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover St. Louis?
Environmental compliance in St. Louis, Minnesota is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Minnesota state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro