Contact: Anne Moore, 218-302-6605
Duluth, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is proposing to remove two sites and portions of a third from the Permanent List of Priorities (PLP), also known as the state Superfund list. The agency is seeking public comments on the proposed de-listings through June 23, 2011.
The PLP includes sites contaminated with hazardous substances that pose a threat or potential threat to public health and the environment. It is updated periodically as new sites are added or old ones cleaned up and removed from the list.
The MPCA proposes to remove the following sites:
- The Gopher Oil Delaware site, located along Huron and Delaware avenues near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, was originally a bulk oil storage facility and was used most recently as a parking lot. Combined efforts by the MPCA’s Superfund and Petroleum Remediation Programs resulted in the removal of underground tanks, polychlorinated biphenyls-contaminated wastes (PCBs are man-made chemicals with varying toxicity, often used as an insulator in electrical equipment) and petroleum-contaminated soil. The site is currently being redeveloped for student housing.
- The Blaine Well Field site, part of the city’s municipal well system, is located near the intersection of Highways 10 and 65. The wells were found to be contaminated by a solvent called 1,2-dichlorethane, but no source was identified despite a long and costly search. Blaine city officials accepted the MPCA's proposed remedy and system design funding. They have since installed a facility to treat the well water.
The MPCA is also proposing to delist portions of the Brooklyn Park Dump site, which was divided into thirds to create more efficient evaluation and cleanup. One portion was delisted in 2007. Parts of the remaining two portions being considered for delisting are city-owned and have undergone appropriate cleanup. Other portions of the site will remain on the PLP until future redevelopment occurs.
More detailed information about these sites and the Superfund program can be found on the MPCA’s website at www.pca.state.mn.us/udgx815.
Public comments on these proposed delistings must be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m., June 23. Comments on the proposed site delistings should be sent to:
Steven Schoff
Superfund Program, Remediation Division
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road North
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194
