The MPCA has developed guidance on a number of topics to assist real estate developers, environmental engineers, remediation consultants, and others in addressing brownfields and contaminated sites.
Site characterization and sampling
Soil reference values
Soil reference values (SRVs) are a screening tool used to evaluate potential human health risks from exposure to contaminated soil. They are derived using exposure assumptions based on specific land-use scenarios.
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Contains two sets of generic SRVs by land use: Residential/recreational and commercial/industrial. For each land use category, click on the corresponding worksheet/tab to see the SRVs.
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How the SRVs were calculated, including the default exposure assumptions used for each land use category, and how to use the generic SRVs to evaluate potential risk from exposure to contaminated soil.
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For eight metals and two organic compounds, the calculated generic SRVs were deemed less-than-typical background concentrations. This report determines a reasonable background threshold value to use in place of the calculated SRV.
Soil leaching values
Soil leaching values are used to evaluate risks posed by leaching of contaminants in soil to groundwater.
Groundwater
Risk-based site evaluation manual
Submitting sampling data
Refer to our Environmental Quality Information System (EQuIS) web page for information on submitting data to the MPCA, using EQuIS and EDGE, obtaining location unique identifiers, and our data-gathering practices.
Remedy selection
Institutional controls
Institutional controls — also known as land use restrictions, activity use limitations, and land use controls — are imposed on properties to protect cleanup work and avoid exposure to any remaining contamination. Institutional controls limit how the land or its resources can be used, or provide information that helps guide behavior on the property, to protect human health or the environment.
Institutional controls are not intended to be a sole remedy, but are part of the overall remedy and protection work. The MPCA may require an institutional control as a condition of liability assurance for a property.
Common institutional controls
- Environmental covenant and easement (previously called declarations of restrictions and covenants) — Restricts or requires specific activities, such as not disturbing soil in a certain location or below a certain depth, or requiring a vapor mitigation system in a property building.
- Affidavit concerning real property contaminated with hazardous substances — Provides notice of residual or potential contamination on the property when no specific activity restriction is needed.
- Bond declaration — Required when state general obligation bonds have been used to improve a property, and the sale or use of the property is then restricted based on state and federal law.
Institutional control documents are typically recorded at either the county recorder’s or registrar of titles office after cleanup is completed or the bonds have been spent. Templates and instructions for the covenant and affidavit:
Sites with institutional controls
Identify MPCA sites with institutional controls. Use the interactive map or download a list. Contact instcontrols.pca@state.mn.us with questions.
Dense non-aqueous phase liquids
Dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that have two major characteristics in common: they are heavier than water and immiscible. Examples include chlorinated solvents, coal tar, heavy petroleum (e.g., No. 6 fuel oil products), creosote, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These documents provide information — based on Interstate Technology Regulatory Council guidance — on managing sites contaminated with DNAPL.
Resources
- Integrated DNAPL site strategy (ITRC 2011) (Interstate Technology Regulatory Council)
- Integrated DNAPL site characterization and tools selection (ITRC 2015) (Interstate Technology Regulatory Council)
- Characterization and remediation in fractured rocks (2017) (Interstate Technology Regulatory Council)
- Remediation management of complex sites (Interstate Technology Regulatory Council)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Offsite reuse of fill materials
For sites enrolled in the MPCA's voluntary investigation and cleanup or petroleum brownfield programs and moving regulated fill from one site to another: