A longtime employee of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has filed a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming he faced retaliation for raising concerns about how the agency handles petroleum leak sites.
Mark Toso resigned in June after nearly 30 years at the MPCA, the last decade as a hydrologist in the petroleum remediation program.
The program is responsible for investigating, evaluating and removing risks from petroleum releases from storage tanks. Those leaks can contaminate soil and groundwater, create dangerous vapors and affect drinking water supplies.
In November, Toso sued the MPCA in Ramsey County District Court, alleging that the agency penalized him for voicing concerns that the program was failing to protect groundwater and endangering the public.
"I'm hoping this lawsuit brings changes to the agency because they're sorely needed,” Toso said in an interview in December.
MPCA spokesperson Andrea Cournoyer said she can’t comment on an ongoing lawsuit, but stated that the agency “works swiftly and thoroughly to address environmental impacts of contamination from petroleum leaks.”
“Our staff work with the best science and management practices available at any one time,” she stated. “The MPCA continuously seeks out and adopts new approaches or policies that emerge with the advancement of science and technology.”
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