Superfund Sites in Reuse in Minnesota
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Adrian Municipal Well Field
The Adrian Municipal Well Field Superfund site includes two municipal wells in Adrian, Minnesota. The state of Minnesota closed the contaminated wells and dug two new wells outside the area of contamination in 1984 and 1985. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. EPA investigations identified nine leaking underground storage tanks as potential contamination sources. In 1989, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completed cleanup activities. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1992. The well field continues to provide water for the municipal water supply.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Arrowhead Refinery Co.
The 10-acre Arrowhead Refinery Co. Superfund site is a former waste oil recycling facility near Duluth International Airport in Hermantown, Minnesota. From 1961 to 1977, Arrowhead Refinery Company re-refined oil on the property. Site operators disposed of waste in a wetland and a wastewater ditch. These practices resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. Cleanup included removal and proper disposal of sludge, filter cake and contaminated soil. Cleanup also included groundwater treatment. The site is zoned for commercial uses. In 2010, EPA supported a reuse assessment to help the property owner and local government evaluate reuse opportunities for the site. EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) provided support for more reuse planning activities at the site, including an interagency working session in 2019. The session helped to align regulatory permitting steps, redevelopment goals and site closeout activities. SRP compiled a reference tool that documented site cleanup, reuse and institutional control considerations to support the interagency discussions. Parties signed environmental covenants in February 2021 to resolve institutional control issues. In 2021, EPA took the site off the NPL. A custom cabinet builder is active on site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Baytown Township Ground Water Plume
The Baytown Township Ground Water Plume Superfund site covers 7 square miles and impacts three aquifers in Washington County, Minnesota. It consists of a contaminated groundwater plume and its source area. From 1940 to 1968, a metalworking facility used the source-area property. Facility activities contaminated groundwater. In 1987, the Minnesota Department of Health detected contamination in private wells. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. Cleanup activities, managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, include well-water treatment and treatment of source-area groundwater. Land uses above the groundwater plume include farmland, homes, a commercial building, Lake Elmo Airport and developed areas of the city of Bayport. A convenience store, a meat market and a gas station are located on the source-area property.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 21 people and generated an estimated $910,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Boise Cascade/Onan Corp./Medtronics, Inc.
The 183-acre Boise Cascade/Onan Corp./Medtronics, Inc. Superfund site is in Fridley, Minnesota. From 1921 to 1961, a wood-treating facility was active on site. In the early 1960s, Onan Corporation purchased 133 acres of the site property. Medtronic Corporation bought the remaining 50 acres to build commercial and industrial manufacturing facilities. In 1979, site investigations found toxic chemicals from past wood-treating operations in soil and groundwater. In 1984, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). Cleanup included removal of contaminated soil and backfilling with clean soil, containment of remaining contaminated waste and soil, groundwater treatment, and collection and disposal of thousands of gallons of oil. Cleanup finished in 1992. Medtronic Corporation built its office building and parking lot on the western part of the site. Cummins (formerly Onan Corporation) built an office building, manufacturing facility and parking lots on the eastern part of the site. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1995. In 1999, workers identified contamination in soil on the Onan property during construction of the Murphy Warehouse building. The site’s potentially responsible parties removed drums and contaminated soil from the area and monitored groundwater for two years. In 2009, investigations by Cummins before construction of a new generator test cell facility identified soil contamination. Cummins cleaned up the soil and then built the facility. The Murphy Warehouse Company facility has a small, roof-mounted solar array that provides renewable energy for the company’s use. The 11-acre prairie habitat at the on-site business branch includes wildflowers that support pollinators. The area is home to birds, rabbits, deer and foxes. Other businesses on site include a medical device manufacturer, an electrical equipment manufacturer and a distribution company. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 3,304 people and generated an estimated $1,164,039,206 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Reuse and the Benefit to Community: Boise Cascade/Onan Corp./Medtronics, Inc. (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter Plant)
The 60-acre Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter Plant) Superfund site is in the cities of Baxter and Brainerd in Minnesota. A rail line that runs east to west divides the site. Surrounding land uses include residential and industrial areas. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and previous site users treated rail ties at the site from 1907 to 1985. Wastewater from the operations contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included removal of visibly contaminated soil and sludge, treatment and capping of remaining contaminated soil, and operation of an air injection system to treat groundwater. Soil treatment took place from 1987 to 1994. The air injection system continues to operate. In 2014, BNSF, with EPA oversight, completed an evaluation of remaining soil and groundwater contamination. A focused feasibility study to update the remedy and better address current site conditions is ongoing. The rail line on site remains active.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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East Bethel Demolition Landfill
The 60-acre East Bethel Demolition Landfill Superfund site is in East Bethel Township, Minnesota. The landfill covers 27 acres of the site. The landfill accepted demolition debris and other hazardous industrial wastes in the 1970s. In 1981, Anoka County found high levels of contaminants and dissolved metals in the groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup actions, managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA’s) Closed Landfill Program, included groundwater extraction and treatment, a new landfill cap, and active gas venting. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1996. MPCA currently maintains the site. MPCA maintains plant diversity on the landfill cap. MPCA also planted native grasses on part of the area to enhance wildlife habitat for sandhill cranes. Much of the site is part of the Sandhill Crane Natural Area.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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Fridley Commons Park Well Field
The 50-acre Fridley Commons Park Well Field Superfund site is in Fridley, Minnesota. The site consists of an active well field with eight public wells owned by the city of Fridley. In 1981, the city found contamination in groundwater samples from municipal wells but could not determine the source of the contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. Cleanup activities included monitoring groundwater contamination and decommissioning the ninth well, which had the highest level of contamination. Contaminant levels have improved over the years and the ninth well is back in use. In addition to the active well field, Fridley Commons Park is on site. It features three baseball fields, tennis courts, a sledding hill, an open field, a playground, a warming house and parking. Fridley Middle School is also on site. A football field, soccer field and a track are at the middle school. EPA took the site off the NPL in 2020, after contaminant levels met cleanup goals.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
Koch Refining Co./N-Ren Corp.
The Koch Refining Co./N-Ren Corp. Superfund site is an active oil refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota. The 1,200-acre area includes the refinery and a neighboring property. Operations began in 1955. The refinery receives crude oil by pipeline and barge. It then refines the crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil, kerosene, diesel fuel, boiler fuel, asphalt, petroleum coke, sulfur, carbon dioxide, butane and propane. Since the early 1970s, spills in the storage tank area have occurred. Site investigations found refinery operations contaminated groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup took place from 1988 to 2004. It involved installation of recovery wells, groundwater gradient control and soil gas extraction. Further studies classified the area as a petroleum release site, so EPA transferred site responsibilities to the Minnesota Tanks and Spills Program. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1995. At that time, the site became a state-lead site under EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program and Underground Storage Tank program. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Owners renamed the business; the oil refinery continues to operate on site. An active industrial rail yard also remains on site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 1,200 people and generated an estimated $1,250,000,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Koppers Coke
The 38-acre Koppers Coke Superfund site is in Saint Paul, Minnesota. From 1917 to 1979, the Koppers Company produced foundry coke and various byproducts such as coal tars and coal tar distillates. Storage and disposal practices, as well as various leaks and spills, resulted in the contamination of soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. EPA delegated cleanup authority to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). As part of the cleanup, MPCA required that the Koppers Company dispose of residues and contaminated soil at an off-site facility. The site’s location next to major ongoing industrial and commercial development and transportation infrastructure spurred the Saint Paul Port Authority to position it for redevelopment. In 1980, the Authority redeveloped the site as part of a 218-acre high-tech industrial park called Energy Park. It includes light industrial manufacturing facilities, commercial and office space, and charter schools. A residential area provides more than 780 affordable housing options. Today, there are over 90 businesses in the Energy Park Business Center. Several state government facilities are also on site. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 12 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 374 people and generated an estimated $257,024,924 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Kurt Manufacturing Co.
The 10-acre Kurt Manufacturing Co. Superfund site is in Fridley, Minnesota. Since 1960, Kurt Manufacturing has made machining and metal components on site. Operators spilled industrial solvents into a drainage pit beneath the company’s metal shavings bin storage. This spill contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. EPA is overseeing a remedial investigation (RI) at the site and will determine a remedy after conclusion of that investigation. Kurt Manufacturing continues to operate its precision machining and metal fabrication facility on site. The company’s die-casting division also operates on site. It provides die-casting solutions for the aerospace industry.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 175 people and generated an estimated $45,558,333 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Lagrand Sanitary Landfill
The 80-acre LaGrand Sanitary Landfill Superfund site is in LaGrand Township, Minnesota. The landfill itself covers 5.2 acres. From 1974 to 1984, the landfill accepted municipal and industrial waste. Landfill wastes contaminated groundwater below the landfill. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) addressed the site through the state’s Closed Landfill Program. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. Cleanup began in 1992. Workers did long-term groundwater monitoring, landfill gas venting and landfill cover maintenance. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1997. In 2006, MPCA put in a new landfill cap and gas vents. In 2008, MPCA transferred 3 acres of the site to Runestone Electric for reuse as an electric substation. In 2009, MPCA granted an easement to Great River Energy, an electrical company serving Minnesota and Wisconsin, for electrical power transmission lines to cross part of the site. EPA designated the site as sitewide ready for anticipated use (SWRAU) in June 2012. In 2013, MPCA developed a Closed Landfill Use Plan for the site and shared it with Douglas County. The plan covers the site’s status as a closed landfill and potential future use as a solar farm.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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LeHillier/Mankato
The 198-acre LeHillier/Mankato Superfund site is west of Mankato in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The LeHillier area has many natural and manmade depressions. They are the result of changes in the channels of the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers as well as from excavation of sand and gravel. From 1925 to 1960, operators filled these depressions with rubbish. There are no records of the dumping activities or types of waste materials. Investigations found these disposal areas and identified contamination of the shallow sand and gravel aquifer with volatile halogenated hydrocarbons, primarily trichloroethylene (TCE). EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included groundwater extraction and treatment, which took place from 1989 to 1997. It also included proper abandonment of 83 private wells and institutional controls to guide future land use. Operation and maintenance activities at the site are ongoing. A public park is now on the northern part of the site. It includes soccer fields, pavilions, a campground, a boat landing and three municipal wells. The wells provide about 80% of Mankato’s public water supply. Other uses on site include commercial and industrial businesses, a neighborhood and a park.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 12 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 233 people and generated an estimated $49,653,477 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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MacGillis & Gibbs Co./Bell Lumber & Pole Co.
The 68-acre MacGillis & Gibbs Co./Bell Lumber & Pole Co. Superfund site consists of two adjoining properties in New Brighton, Minnesota. Wood-preserving facilities operated on both properties through most of the 20th century. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984, after discovery of contaminated soil and groundwater. Cleanup included stabilization and removal of contaminated soil, biotreatment of contaminated soil, capping of heavily contaminated soils, and groundwater pumping and treatment. Most cleanup activities finished by 2002. For more than two decades, the city of New Brighton (the City) laid the groundwork necessary for redevelopment of the 25-acre MacGillis & Gibbs property. This effort was part of the City’s plan to revitalize a historic road that was once a main route through the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. In 1997, the City, along with state and federal agencies, successfully negotiated a Prospective Purchaser Agreement to resolve the City’s liability concerns before its acquisition of the property. The site’s successful cleanup made possible the development of the 32-acre New Brighton Corporate Park III. Today, the redevelopment project includes manufacturing and distribution businesses, as well as over 70,000 square feet of commercial office space, shops and restaurants, legal and medical services, a post office, and an adjacent 120-unit condominium development.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 11 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 744 people and generated an estimated $154,974,280 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Superfund Site Profile Page
- Site Redevelopment Profile: MacGillis & Gibbs Co./Bell Lumber & Pole Co. (PDF)
- Cleanup and Mixed-Use Revitalization in the Twin Cities: The MacGillis & Gibbs Superfund Site Property (PDF)
- MacGillis and Gibbs: A Shining Future for the City of New Brighton
Morris Arsenic Dump
The Morris Arsenic Dump Superfund site is in Morris, Minnesota. In the early 1940s, Stevens County buried surplus arsenic-based pesticides in a gravel pit on site. The Minnesota Department of Transportation built a highway through the gravel pit in 1978. After inconclusive groundwater and soil testing, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requested assistance from EPA. EPA found traces of arsenic in groundwater samples. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. More testing could not determine whether the arsenic in groundwater came from buried pesticides or from arsenic found naturally in the region. Because arsenic concentrations fell within the natural arsenic range for the area, EPA determined that the site did not require cleanup. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1986. Part of U.S. Highway 59 remains in use on the site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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NL Industries/Taracorp/Golden Auto
The NL Industries/Taracorp/Golden Auto Superfund site is in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. A secondary smelter was on site from 1940 to 1982. It recovered lead from lead plates, battery fragments and lead containers. Waste disposal activities at the smelter and the metal-refining business resulted in high lead levels in the air, soil and groundwater. In 1983, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). Cleanup involved removing contaminated soil, refilling and revegetating the area, cleaning and demolishing buildings, and putting a protective asphalt cover in place. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1998. Today, the Highway 7 Corporate Center is on site. It includes commercial and industrial spaces used for retail, offices and warehousing. Parking, roadway and vegetated areas are also on site. There are four commercial tenants in the office building. Long-term groundwater monitoring is ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 6 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 153 people and generated an estimated $22,088,778 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Nutting Truck & Caster Co.
The 8.6-acre Nutting Truck & Caster Co. Superfund site is in Faribault, Minnesota. From 1891 to 1984, the Nutting Truck & Caster Company made and distributed casters, wheels, hand trucks and towline trucks at the site. From 1959 to 1979, the company operated a foundry waste disposal area on site, using a seepage pit for disposal of waste and sludges. These activities contaminated surface soil. In 1980, the company removed waste materials and contaminated soil from the pit. The company then backfilled and paved the area. In 1984, the company ended its operations at the site. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. EPA delegated authority to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to oversee the cleanup. Follow-on investigations identified groundwater contamination resulting from former disposal practices. Cleanup activities included construction of a groundwater extraction and treatment system, which operated until 2004. Prairie Avenue Leasing Ltd. currently owns the site property. It leases out the property for commercial and light industrial uses. A cell tower is also on site. Groundwater monitoring is complete. EPA took the site off the NPL in 2017.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 15 people and generated an estimated $2,220,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Perham Arsenic Site
The Perham Arsenic Superfund site is in Perham, Minnesota. From the 1930s to 1947, manufacturers on site made an arsenic pesticide to control grasshoppers. Disposal practices contaminated groundwater and soil. In 1971, Hammers Construction Company purchased the site property to build offices and a warehouse. It put in a groundwater well to provide water to the facility. Eleven employees suffered from arsenic poisoning after drinking the contaminated groundwater. In response, the city of Perham (the City) extended its municipal water supply to the facility and capped the well. Cleanup included capping an arsenic burial pit and putting in a groundwater treatment system. The City supplied water to a nearby school and home. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Land use controls protect human health and safety. Continued uses on site include the offices of Hammers Construction Company as well as the East Otter Tail County Fairground. Hammers Rental Properties owns the eastern part of the site property. Knuttila Financial Services owns the western part of the property. A home mortgage and title company is also on site. Long-term monitoring and groundwater recovery and treatment are ongoing.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 4 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 8 people and generated an estimated $1,577,380 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Pine Bend Sanitary Landfill
The 255-acre Pine Bend Sanitary Landfill Superfund site is in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. The site includes the largest landfill in Minnesota. It opened in 1971. Investigations found groundwater contamination at the site and in several private wells. This contamination resulted from leachate migrating from the landfill. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. The site’s potentially responsible party (PRP) connected all homes to the public water supply and permanently sealed and abandoned private wells. The PRP also put in a cover, a landfill gas collection system, and a surface water and leachate collection system. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1998. Today, a natural gas plant is on site. It treats biogas collected from the landfill. The biogas goes into the pipeline and can be pulled out for use at fueling stations. The plant is the first renewable natural gas facility in Minnesota. The landfill also remains open. It continues to operate as a municipal solid waste facility in accordance with permit requirements.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 5 people and generated an estimated $1,688,750 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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South Andover Site
The 50-acre South Andover Site Superfund site is in Andover, Minnesota. From 1954 to 1981, waste disposal and salvage facilities operated on site. Spills and practices resulted in the contamination of soils and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included removal and treatment or off-site disposal of contaminated soils. The potentially responsible parties completed cleanup activities in 1994. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. In 1996 and 1997, the city of Andover bought the site property and led redevelopment efforts. In 1998, EPA took site soils off the NPL after it found that no contaminated soil was left on site that posed a human health or environmental risk. Today, residential and commercial areas, including a department store, a grocery store, a chain drug store and a small mall, extend from the site onto neighboring properties. Most of this area is known as Andover Station. The pedestrian-oriented development fosters a more walkable and livable community, attracts shoppers and boosts the local tax base.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 15 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 389 people and generated an estimated $72,642,087 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination
The 1,480-acre South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination Superfund site is in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From 1938 to 1963, Reade Manufacturing leased the CMC Heartland Site Yard property and operated an arsenic-based pesticide manufacturing facility at the property. During manufacturing, toxic arsenic became airborne and contaminated soils in surrounding neighborhoods. From 1963 to 1968, U.S. Borax subleased the property from Reade Manufacturing and made, shipped and stored borate-based herbicides. U.S. Borax’s operations disturbed and dispersed arsenic contamination still present from Reade Manufacturing’s operations. In January 1968, a storage tank containing liquid sodium arsenite ruptured, releasing about 3,000 gallons of liquid sodium arsenite onto an area of about 1,000 square meters. The area was then covered with sand. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2007. Cleanup included the excavation of contaminated soil and restoration of more than 600 properties. EPA took parts of the site off the NPL in 2019 and 2021, after cleanup finished. Regular reviews of the site’s remedy, including institutional controls, are ongoing. A commercial and light industrial facility are active on site. Medical and healthcare businesses are also on site. Other businesses and homes in the area remain in use.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 117 people and generated an estimated $30,492,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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St. Louis River Site
The 755-acre St. Louis River Superfund site consists of two state Superfund sites – the St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) site and the U.S. Steel site. The sites are near Duluth, Minnesota, along the St. Louis River. Industrial operations at the SLRIDT site started as early as the 1890s, with iron companies operating on site since 1904. Until 1948, tar and chemical companies made substances from iron production byproducts at the SLRIDT site. U.S. Steel ran manufacturing facilities from 1915 to 1979. Past operations and improper waste disposal practices at both sites contaminated soils, sediments and groundwater. They also contaminated the St. Louis River, an estuary with abundant wildlife and fisheries. EPA added the site to the NPL in 1984 and delegated authority for site management to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Cleanup activities at the SLRIDT site included tar and soil removal and dredging and capping of contaminated river sediments in Stryker Bay, Slip 6 and Slip 7. In 2016, EPA did a reuse assessment for the site. In 2017, MPCA clarified the site boundary to assist with further redevelopment efforts. MPCA also reconstructed wetland habitats to help fish productivity and health. Duluth city government supported the development of a light industrial park on and around the SLRIDT site. The facility includes light manufacturing, transportation, storage and commercial businesses. Other parts of the SLRIDT site remain undeveloped. Cleanup activities at the U.S. Steel site included building demolition, and removal and solidification of large volumes of tar and contaminated soil. EPA, U.S. Steel and MPCA are working on a sediment cleanup and beneficial use improvement for Spirit Lake, a section of the St. Louis River next to the site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 10 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 143 people and generated an estimated $25,450,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Reuse Fact Sheet: St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) portion of the St. Louis River Superfund Site (PDF)
- Reuse Assessment: St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar Site (2017) (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
St. Regis Paper Co.
The 163-acre St. Regis Paper Co. Superfund site is located mainly on potentially responsible party (PRP)-owned property within the Leech Lake Band of the Ojibwe Indian Reservation in Cass Lake, Minnesota. The paper company ran a wood-treating facility on site from the 1950s to the 1980s. Its operations contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. International Paper (IP) currently owns the majority of site property. The PRPs (IP and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad [BNSF]) are cleaning up the site under EPA, state and Tribal oversight. Soil cleanup includes replacing contaminated soil with clean fill and vegetation at residential properties, cleaning contaminated indoor dust from homes, capping and containing contaminated soil on site, and taking heavily contaminated soil off site for disposal. Groundwater cleanup includes pumping and treating contaminated water. Cleanup is ongoing. Current site uses include residential, commercial, public-service and industrial areas. An active rail line crosses part of the site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed one person and generated an estimated $113,400 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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Union Scrap Iron & Metal Co.
The Union Scrap Iron & Metal Co. Superfund site is a 10,000-square-foot area in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Battery recycling operations took place on site from the early 1970s to 1983. Operations and disposal practices resulted in contaminated wastes and soil. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. From 1987 to 1989, EPA removed wastes, battery debris and contaminated soil from the site. EPA replaced dug-up areas with clean fill. EPA also decontaminated and demolished site buildings and removed contaminated material from sewer lines. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in 1991. Today, the site is part of North Washington Industrial Park. A gas station and convenience store with a car wash are on site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 7 people and generated an estimated $189,950 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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University Of Minnesota (Rosemount Research Center)
The University of Minnesota (Rosemount Research Center) Superfund site is in Rosemount, Minnesota. An agricultural research station was on site. A former burn pit operated by the University of Minnesota resulted in groundwater contamination. Three university tenants – George’s Used Equipment, Porter Electric and Machine Company, and U.S. Transformed – disposed of wastes in three areas, resulting in soil contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup included groundwater treatment, soil treatment and disposal, and extension of a community water supply line. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in 2001. Today, a University of Minnesota research center is on site. The site is also part of a larger area known as UMore Park East. Land uses in UMore Park East include agricultural areas and university operations. Several construction materials businesses are also on site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.
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Waite Park Wells
The 200-acre Waite Park Wells Superfund site is in the city of Waite Park and the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The site includes two major areas – the Electric Machinery area and the Burlington Northern Car Shop area. Past land uses include a gas turbine and electric generator manufacturing facility and a railcar maintenance facility. Facility operations and waste disposal practices resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. In 1986, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency led the cleanup. Activities included construction of a treatment facility for the city of Waite Park’s municipal drinking water and ongoing monitoring of drinking water quality. Cleanup at the Electric Machinery area included groundwater extraction and treatment, soil excavation, soil vapor removal, and groundwater monitoring. Cleanup at the Burlington Northern Car Shop area included removal of lagoon and sandblast wastes, construction of an on-site containment facility and groundwater monitoring. The original water treatment plant was replaced with a new and improved treatment facility in 2002. After cleanup, Burlington Northern transferred ownership of 126 acres of the site to the city of Waite Park. Today, site uses include recreation and educational areas such as the 42.1-acre River’s Edge Park. The park has six baseball fields, a hockey rink, pickleball courts, a splash pad and a playground. The Lake Wobegon Trail runs next to the site. The trail provides space to hike, bike, rollerblade and ride snowmobiles. Funded by a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership grant, construction of the Harold P. Nelson healthy living trail finished in 2011. The trail, the first of its kind in Minnesota, provides residents with exercise and physical activity opportunities. On the southern edge of the site, the St. Cloud Area Rail Legacy Museum hosts restored railcars that showcase historic industrial operations in Waite Park. Redevelopment on another part of the site includes West River Business Park, which hosts nearly 40 commercial and industrial uses, ranging from medical centers and restaurants to manufacturing plants. A foundry and parts casting business remains active in the former Electric Machinery building.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 29 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 805 people and generated an estimated $152,656,065 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Reuse and the Benefit to Community: A Beneficial Effects Economic Case Study for the Waite Park Wells Superfund Site - Operable Unit 2 (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Whittaker Corp.
The 7.5-acre Whittaker Corp. Superfund site is in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Beginning in the 1940s, several industrial and manufacturing companies operated at the site. During World War II, a packaging facility for war materials, including antifreeze and oil for the military, was on site. In the 1950s, operations expanded to include industrial coatings production and steel distribution. Site operators stored chemicals in aboveground and underground tanks on site. Industrial processes generated a variety of wastes. Site operations and waste handling practices resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. In 1984, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). EPA, the state and the site’s potentially responsible parties took precautionary measures during cleanup to make sure on-site businesses could remain open. Cleanup included removal of soils, drums and tanks as well as groundwater extraction. After groundwater contaminants met cleanup goals, EPA took the site off the NPL in 1999. Today, commercial and industrial businesses remain active on site.
Last updated December 2023
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 9 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 56 people and generated an estimated $3,159,290 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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