Empowering Residents and Strengthening Environmental Response

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is modernizing its environmental complaint system to give residents a faster, more effective way to report issues and help protect Minnesota’s environment. Supported from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), this initiative will deliver a user-friendly mobile and web-based platform that allows the public to submit complaints with photos, location data, and detailed descriptions—improving MPCA’s ability to respond quickly and accurately to environmental concerns. Ultimately, the project supports healthier communities and stronger environmental stewardship by closing the gap between public observations and agency action.

The existing complaint tracking system is outdated and lacks mobile functionality or integration with MPCA’s core systems. The new platform will allow for real-time reporting through smartphones, including GPS-enabled location tagging and image uploads. This data will seamlessly flow into the MPCA’s TEMPO environmental database, streamlining internal workflows and allowing staff to manage public complaints with the same rigor and responsiveness as formal incident reports received from the State Duty Officer.

In addition to enabling more accurate and timely complaint resolution, the modernized system will improve public communication and follow-up. Residents submitting reports will benefit from clearer status updates, while MPCA staff will gain access to a centralized, integrated view of incident data to inform decision-making and ensure consistency in environmental protection across the state.

Value: This project empowers Minnesotans to actively participate in environmental protection by providing a faster, smarter, and more transparent way to report and track environmental issues—enabling MPCA to respond more effectively and improve environmental outcomes statewide.