Listed below are topics for cleanup guidance information. Select the topic to see the listing of related documents.
This technical series provides an effective methodology to characterize DNAPL sites and to develop an appropriate strategy towards addressing DNAPL. The documents are technical in nature and are developed for use by experienced practitioners. Go to the DNAPL webpages.
Institutional controls — also known as land use restrictions, activity use limitations, and land use controls — are restrictions, conditions, or controls imposed on a property to protect cleanup work and minimize the potential for exposure to remaining contamination. Institutional controls typically work by limiting how the land or resources on it can be used, or by providing information that helps modify or guide behavior on the property.
Institutional controls can be implemented when property conditions or residual contamination does not allow for unrestricted land use. Institutional controls are not intended to be a sole remedy, but are typically part of a property’s 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) — Required when a specific action or activity restriction is needed to protect human health or the environment. For example, the covenant might prohibit disturbing soil in a certain location or below a certain depth, or require operating a vapor mitigation system in a building on the property.
- Affidavit concerning real property contaminated with hazardous substances — Required when no specific action or activity restriction is needed, but a notice of residual or potential contamination on the property is warranted.
- 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 for the covenant and affidavit:
Environmental Covenant and Easement (c-rem4-03)
Affidavit concerning real property contaminated with hazardous substances (c-rem4-02)
A list of MPCA Remediation Division sites with institutional controls is available on the agency's Minnesota Geospatial Commons page. The data is refreshed daily and can be downloaded and then sorted. If you have a question about a particular institutional control or find an error in the data, please contact us at instcontrols.pca@state.mn.us.
- Coming soon, new SRV guidance
- Coming later, new land use framework
Soil Leaching Value (SLV) guidance
The SLV guidance document and the spreadsheet containing SLVs are new guidance from the MPCA Remediation Division for evaluating risks posed by leaching of contaminants in soil to groundwater.
Corrective Action Design (CAD) for use at Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and VIC Programs
Effective July 1, 2011, the CAD guidance developed earlier by the Petroleum Remediation Program will be utilized at remediation sites, as set forth in the following policy document:
Other topics
General guidance
Underground Storage Tank and Petroleum Remediation Quality Assurance Program Plan (p-eao2-04)
- MPCA information requests
1-01 Petroleum Remediation Program General Policy (c-prp1-01)
1-03 Spatial data collection at petroleum remediation sites (c-prp1-03)
You as a Responsible Party in the PRP (c-prp1-04)
Leak site ownership form (c-prp6-07)
Procedures for Assessing Contamination at Large Above-ground Storage Tank Sites
Release reporting
2-01 Reporting of petroleum releases (c-prp2-01)
2-02 Light non-aqueous phase liquid management strategy (c-prp2-02)
2-03 Light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) recovery report (c-prp2-03)
2-04 Recent releases at petroleum tank sites (c-prp2-04)
2-05 Release information worksheet (c-prp2-05)
2-08 Petroleum Tank Release Follow-up Notification (c-prp2-08)
Soil excavation and treatment
3-01 Excavation of Petroleum Contaminated Soil
3-02 General Excavation Report Worksheet
3-02a Corrective Action Excavation Report Worksheet
3-03 Land Treatment of Petroleum Contaminated Soil
3-04 Application for a Petroleum Contaminated Soil Land Treatment Site (Form A)
3-05 Application to Land Treat Petroleum Contaminated Soil at an Approved Site (Form B)
3-06 Notification of Spreading Petroleum Contaminated Soil at a Land Treatment Site (Form C)
3-07 Soil Monitoring results for Land Treated Petroleum Contaminated Soil (Form D)
3-08 Permit Application for a Land Treatment Facility
- Current Pre-Approved Petroleum Contaminated Land Treatment Sites
3-13 Composting of Petroleum Contaminated Soil
Facts About Composting Petroleum Contaminated Soil
3-15 Land Treatment General Information
3-16 Assessment of petroleum contamination at closed sites (c-prp3-16)
3-17 Thin Spreading Small Quantities of Petroleum Contaminated Soil
Site investigation and risk evaluation
4-01 Soil and groundwater assessments performed during site investigations (c-prp4-01)
4-01a Vapor intrusion assessments performed during site investigations (c-prp4-01a)
3-01a Vapor intrusion building survey form (c-rem3-01a)
1-36 Intrusion Screening Values (ISVs) for vapor intrusion risk evaluation (aq1-36)
4-02 Risk evaluation and site management decision at petroleum release sites (c-prp4-02)
4-03 Assessment Assessment of natural biodegradation at petroleum release sites (c-prp4-03)
4-04 Soil sample collection and analysis procedures (c-prp4-04)
4-05 Groundwater sample collection and analysis procedures (c-prp4-05)
4-06 Investigation report (c-prp4-06)
4-08 Monitoring report (c-prp4-08)
4-09 Groundwater investigations in Karst areas (c-prp4-09)
FAQs about Investigation and Remediation of AST Facilities
4-18 Assessment of sensitive groundwater conditions (c-prp4-18)
4-21 Investigation requirements for ethanol-blended fuel releases (c-prp4-21)
Corrective action
7-01 Corrective action design and implementation (c-prp7-01)
7-02 Conceptual corrective action design (CCAD) report (c-prp7-02)
7-03 Focused investigation work plan (c-prp7-03)
7-04 Focused investigation report (c-prp7-04)
7-05 Pilot test work plan (c-prp7-05)
7-06 Pilot test report (c-prp7-06)
7-07a Remediation system detailed corrective action design (SDCAD) report (c-prp7-07a)
7-07b Excavation detailed corrective action design (EDCAD) report (c-prp7-07b)
7-08 Remediation system operation monitoring (RSOM) report (c-prp7-08)
7-09a Air emission controls (c-prp7-09a)
Air emissions risk assessment screening spreadsheet (RASS) (aq9-22)
7-10 Discharging contaminated groundwater (c-prp7-10)
Brownfield Program Services
Brownfield Program Response Action Plans
Guidance Document #9: Guidance for Investigating and Remediating Asbestos-Containing Waste Materials
Asbestos Fact Sheet
Guidance Document #8 Phase 1 Investigation (vic-gd8)
Guidance Document #11 Phase II Investigation Work Plan
Guidance Document #12 Phase II Investigation Report
Affidavit Concerning Real Property Contaminated with Hazardous Substances (c-rem4-02)
Affidavit of non-responsible party status (c-rem4-46)
Environmental Covenant and Easement
Consent of Mortgage Form
The MPCA has developed the following policy and guidance for the offsite reuse of excess soil or fill material for brownfield redevelopment sites. For unregulated fill material, please refer to:
For fill material with contaminant levels greater than the MPCA's most conservative risk-based standards, please refer to the following documents that detail procedures for brownfield redevelopment sites (that are enrolled in the MPCA's Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) and/or Petroleum Brownfields (PB) programs) to move regulated fill from one VIC/PB site to another VIC/PB site, subject to the terms and conditions as outlined:
Effective June 2011, analytical methodology for the vast majority of remediation sites will be the short list of seven cPAHs. However, under certain site conditions the extended list of 25 cPAH compounds will be recommended. The policy document provides background and situations where the extended list of 25 cPAH methodology applies.
The MPCA will consider, on a case by case basis, disposal in appropriate Minnesota landfills of soils contaminated by mercury at concentrations which are both no greater than 4 ppm and non-hazardous. This will apply to soils from remediation and redevelopment sites. Any such disposal must occur in accordance with industrial solid waste management plans. For further discussion of this issue, please see the program management decision document below: