St. Paul presses MPCA, Ford on Highland site cleanup
The St. Paul City Council has passed a resolution formally asking the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to force Ford Motor Co. to do more cleanup at the former Ford assembly plant site in Highland Park, now being redeveloped as Highland Bridge. Council members say new testing has found lingering contamination that wasn’t adequately addressed under earlier remediation plans, and they want MPCA to hold Ford to a stricter standard before more building goes up on the river bluff. The move signals the city no longer trusts Ford’s assurances or the original regulatory sign‑off to fully protect nearby residents, workers and the Mississippi River corridor. Neighbors who’ve watched the site transition from heavy industry to high‑dollar housing are already questioning online whether regulators went too easy on a major corporation, and whether buyers were given the full story up front. If MPCA leans on Ford, it could mean additional investigation, soil removal, vapor controls or construction slowdowns at one of St. Paul’s signature redevelopment projects.
📌 Key Facts
- St. Paul City Council approved a resolution urging the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to compel Ford to undertake additional environmental cleanup at the former Ford plant site in Highland Park.
- The request follows identification of remaining contamination on portions of the property now being redeveloped as Highland Bridge.
- The council action raises the prospect of further investigation, remediation requirements, and potential impacts on ongoing and planned construction at the site.
📊 Relevant Data
Ford Motor Company dumped paint sludge, solvents, construction rubble, contaminated soil, scrap metal, and other industrial waste at the Area C site from approximately 1945 to the mid-1960s.
Saint Paul | Ford Motor Company - Area C — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Contaminants found at the Area C site include solvents, heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc, asphalt-related compounds, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with some samples classified as hazardous due to high lead levels.
Saint Paul | Ford Motor Company - Area C — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
The Highland Bridge redevelopment project on the former Ford site plans to include 3,800 new residences, with 20 percent designated as affordable housing to address housing needs in the community.
Highland Bridge | Ford Site Redevelopment — Ryan Companies
In Minnesota, the homeownership rate for White households is 77 percent, compared to approximately 25 percent for Black households, with the state ranking among the worst in the nation for this racial gap.
The racial homeownership gap is widening for some Minnesotans — Star Tribune
St. Paul's population is 51.51 percent White, 17.9 percent Asian, 15.84 percent Black, 8.9 percent Hispanic, and 4.32 percent other races, indicating a diverse urban area where housing developments like Highland Bridge could impact demographic composition.
St. Paul, Minnesota Population 2026 — World Population Review
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