Stearns, MN
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 Stearns in Minnesota · Population: 159,358
TRI sites such as Associated Milk Producers Inc.; Proliant Dairy Ingredients; Carfair Composites USA Inc - St. Cloud; SDWIS systems such as Saint Cloud; Sartell; Waite Park; NPL sites such as St. Augusta Sanitary Landfill/Engen Dump; Waite Park Wells anchor Stearns, MN's EPA extract. Derived burden score 55/100 (Moderate 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 Stearns include Saint John's University; Evergreen Hills Mobile Home Park; Roscoe, while Associated Milk Producers Inc. leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 39 / peak 97 in 2024.
Burden score 55/100 (Moderate 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 Stearns -- 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 Stearns, MN: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+20.4%
19 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
+22.3%
216.1 thousand lb → 264.4 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 2 facilities filed for the first time and 1 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Stearns, MN's total reported releases rose from 216.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 260.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Stearns, MN's off-site transfers rose from 106.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 164.0 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Stearns, MN's land releases rose from 120 lb in 2022 to 160 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Stearns, MN's water releases fell from 23.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 16.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
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 | 282 (77%) | 84 | 0 | 97 |
| 2023 | 199 (55%) | 152 | 11 | 184 |
| 2022 | 204 (74%) | 73 | 0 | 78 |
| 2021 | 261 (72%) | 95 | 3 | 252 |
| 2020 | 309 (84%) | 57 | 0 | 80 |
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 (30)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Cloud | 71,321 | 0 |
| Sartell | 20,300 | 0 |
| Waite Park | 8,354 | 0 |
| Saint Joseph | 7,100 | 0 |
| Sauk Centre | 4,657 | 0 |
| Cold Spring | 4,201 | 0 |
| Melrose | 3,886 | 0 |
| Albany | 2,805 | 0 |
| Paynesville | 2,575 | 0 |
| Saint John's University | 2,500 | 1 |
| Clearwater | 2,129 | 0 |
| Avon | 1,667 | 0 |
| College of St. Benedict | 1,600 | 0 |
| Richmond | 1,485 | 0 |
| Saint Augusta | 1,425 | 0 |
| Kimball | 911 | 0 |
| Holdingford | 770 | 0 |
| Rockville | 765 | 0 |
| Belgrade | 745 | 0 |
| Freeport | 685 | 0 |
| Saint Martin | 343 | 0 |
| New Munich | 320 | 0 |
| South Haven | 183 | 0 |
| Evergreen Hills Mobile Home Park | 144 | 1 |
| Roscoe | 104 | 1 |
| Clearwater Harbor Property, Incorporated | 70 | 0 |
| Divine Son Mobile Home Park | 70 | 0 |
| Pine Mountain Park | 60 | 0 |
| Crestwood Hills Addition | 35 | 0 |
| Grove Place Apartments | 25 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (25)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Associated Milk Producers Inc. | 285.9K lbs |
| 2 | Proliant Dairy Ingredients | 162.4K lbs |
| 3 | Carfair Composites USA Inc - St. Cloud | 162.3K lbs |
| 4 | Pilgrim's Cold Springs Processing Plant | 142.1K lbs |
| 5 | Carstens Industries Fiberglass Manufacturing | 138.4K lbs |
| 6 | Grede LLC Saint Cloud | 109.9K lbs |
| 7 | New Flyer of America | 94.9K lbs |
| 8 | Kerry Inc | 37.6K lbs |
| 9 | Land O'Lakes - Melrose | 25.9K lbs |
| 10 | Nahan Printing Inc | 16.2K lbs |
| 11 | Polar Tank Trailer | 15.7K lbs |
| 12 | Coldspring | 12.1K lbs |
| 13 | Dci Inc | 696 lbs |
| 14 | Columbia Gear Corp | 477 lbs |
| 15 | Knife River St. Joseph Ready Mix | 280 lbs |
| 16 | Precision Optics | 191 lbs |
| 17 | Dezurik Inc. | 33 lbs |
| 18 | Park Industries | 25 lbs |
| 19 | Electrolux Home Products | 11 lbs |
| 20 | Cemstone - St. Cloud | 2 lbs |
| 21 | Acp - St. Joseph | 1 lbs |
| 22 | Wells Concrete Products - Albany | 0 lbs |
| 23 | Jennie-O Turkey Store - Melrose East | 0 lbs |
| 24 | Novae Llc- Midsota Mfg. | 0 lbs |
| 25 | Knife River Corp N Central Richmond | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (2)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| St. Augusta Sanitary Landfill/Engen Dump | Deleted NPL Site | 33.85 |
| Waite Park Wells | NPL Site | 31.94 |
Cities in Stearns (25)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Stearns, Minnesota? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Stearns? ▼
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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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.