Washington, MN

Moderate Risk (56/100)

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. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.

Environmental data for Washington in Minnesota · Population: 272,298

TRI sites such as 3M Chemical Operations' Cottage Grove Facility; Xcel Energy A. S. King Generating Plant; St Paul Park Refining Co LLC; SDWIS systems such as Woodbury; Cottage Grove; Oakdale; NPL sites such as Baytown Township Ground Water Plume; Oakdale Dump; Washington County Landfill anchor Washington, MN's EPA extract. Derived burden score 56/100 (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 Washington include Preserve at Birch Lake, while 3M Chemical Operations' Cottage Grove Facility leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 35 / peak 58 in 2024.

Burden score 56/100 (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 Washington -- 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 Washington, MN: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

+42.4%

11 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

+52.0%

857.4 thousand lb → 1.3 million lb, every facility that filed

Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 4 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.

  • Washington, MN's total reported releases rose from 856.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 1.2 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Washington, MN's water releases rose from 265.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 700.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Washington, MN's land releases fell from 832 lb in 2022 to 317 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Washington, MN's off-site transfers fell from 295.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 239.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
272,298
TRI Facilities
18
Water Systems
30
Superfund Sites
3
Total Releases
5.7M 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 241 (98%) 5 0 58
2023 194 (81%) 38 8 140
2022 212 (93%) 15 0 90
2021 205 (90%) 21 1 119
2020 210 (98%) 5 0 77
2024 Good Air Quality: 98% of days
Median AQI: 35

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
Woodbury 82,643 0
Cottage Grove 42,760 0
Oakdale 30,144 0
Stillwater 19,462 0
Lake Elmo 10,978 0
Mahtomedi 8,818 0
Saint Paul Park 5,427 0
Oak Park Heights 4,776 0
Newport 4,000 0
Centerville 3,962 0
Lakeland Municipal Water 3,500 0
Bayport 2,700 0
Cimarron Park 2,400 0
MN Correctional Facility - Stillwater 781 0
Brookside Mobile Home Park 550 0
Willernie 525 0
Preserve at Birch Lake 388 1
Woodlund Mobile Home Park 330 0
Hugo Estates 300 0
Baldwin Lake Estates 235 0
Indian Hills Development 156 0
Jackson Meadow 95 0
Sun Bay LLC 90 0
Bay Lake Reserve Development 80 0
Oakhill Cottages 65 0
Lazy Acres Trailer Park 50 0
Hilltop Water Company 50 0
Scandia Water Company 35 0
Marine Stugas Townhomes 28 0
Cedar Terrace Mobile Home Park 25 0

TRI Facilities (18)

# Facility Total Releases
1 3M Chemical Operations' Cottage Grove Facility 3.0M lbs
2 Xcel Energy A. S. King Generating Plant 1.3M lbs
3 St Paul Park Refining Co LLC 945.3K lbs
4 Andersen Corp 318.8K lbs
5 Lsp - Cottage Grove LP 152.9K lbs
6 Advance Corp 23.6K lbs
7 Inliner Solutions LLC 2.6K lbs
8 Holcim - Mwr Inc. Newport Ready Mix 2.2K lbs
9 Knife River Corp N Central Forest Lake 294 lbs
10 Ayrshire Electronics Mn 5 lbs
11 Cemstone Lakeland 5 lbs
12 Hearing Components Inc. 3 lbs
13 Up North Plastics Inc 0 lbs
14 East Side Jersey Dairy 0 lbs
15 Aveka Cce Technologies 0 lbs
16 Aveka Inc 0 lbs
17 Airgas 0 lbs
18 The Vollrath Co. LLC 0 lbs

Superfund Sites (3)

Site Name Status HRS Score
Baytown Township Ground Water Plume NPL Site 35.62
Oakdale Dump NPL Site 55.71
Washington County Landfill Deleted NPL Site 42.24

Cities in Washington (18)

Cottage Grove
6 facilities · 2 water
Bayport
2 facilities · 2 water
Newport
2 facilities · 1 water
Woodbury
2 facilities · 1 water
Hugo
1 facilities · 1 water
Lakeland
1 facilities · 1 water
Saint Paul Park
1 facilities · 0 water
Stillwater
0 facilities · 8 water
Oakdale
0 facilities · 3 water
Scandia
0 facilities · 3 water
Lake Elmo
0 facilities · 2 water
Marine On St. Croix
0 facilities · 2 water
Centerville
0 facilities · 1 water
Mahtomedi
0 facilities · 1 water
Oak Park Heights
0 facilities · 1 water
St. Paul Park
0 facilities · 1 water
Willernie
0 facilities · 1 water
Baytown Township
0 facilities · 0 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Washington, Minnesota?
Washington, MN has an environmental risk score of 56/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 18 TRI facilities, 3 Superfund sites, and 30 water systems on record. 1 water system have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Washington?
Yes, Washington, MN has 3 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 Washington?
Washington, MN has 18 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 5.7M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Washington?
In 2024, Washington, MN recorded a median AQI of 35 and a peak AQI of 58. 98% 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 Washington?
Washington, MN has 30 EPA-regulated water systems. 1 system has 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 Washington?
Environmental compliance in Washington, 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