HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 12-17 Possible industrial wastes in old city dump THE REVIEW Possible 'industrial wastes in old city dump
By MARY LEE HAGERT THERE ARE 30 abandoned dumps in "We had a stringent dump down there. dale have been linked with 3M Company
After interviewing several garbage the metropolitan area including the one in We didn't allow any big trucks to go into in Maplewood.
tJ haulers the Minnesota Pollution Control Maplewood,that the PCA has placed on 'there,"Greavu said. After reviewing over 100 environmental
4 Agency(PCA)staff believes there is a its"high priority dump"list.These sites Councilman Gary Bastian responded, consultants and commercial laboratories,
"strong likelihood" that a former all have a "high pollution potential." "What you are saying is that we could 3M Company officials have recommended
" Maplewood dump site received some Dumps needingimmediate attention are walk down there and not come away Barr Engineering of Minneapolis to
hazardous industrial wastes. classed as"top priority." glowing." conduct a$250,000 geohydrologic study of
"At least two haulers took stuff to this A second category includes the"high "That's right,"Greavu answered."We the former industrial waste dumps.in
..,.. place that was probably industial Priority"dumps,which are not causing had a dump man down there and he Oakdale.The suggestion was made to the
wastes,"Tom Clark,chief of enforcement the severe problems.Because it is in this controlled it." Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
wJ .for the solid waste division of the Min- category, the Maplewood site will be Bill Bittner,Maplewood city engineer, The geohydrologic study will define the
p. nesota Pollution Control Agency, said investigated further in the future. said Monday afternoon that the PCA effect of any contamination on ground
q Monday."Sometimes they(the haulers) Clark's staff will be reviewing the officials had not notified his office that water quality and establish steps for
didn't even know what they had in their former dump and may do some soil industrial wastes have been implicated as alleviating any impacts on this water in
trucks. But we are beginning to see a borings.Their findings will be turned over having been dumped at the site. Oakdale.
. trend that some industrial wastes were to the PCA's Hazardous Waste Site "I'm a little upset that they didn't in- The 3M company has offered to pay for
taken to many sites in the area." Response Group,which Clark calls the form the municipality about this the study. Russell Susag, director of
He emphasized that the possible in- SWAT Team.He anticipates the SWAT possibility,"he stated. environmental operations at 3M, said
dustrial waste pollution problems were Team will use the information to conduct "The meeting we had with the PCA Dec. 12, that based on his company's
probably small in scale."This is nothing a broader study of the site. officials last spring was very evaluation,"we believe Barr Engineering
on the level of the Oakdale dump site Clark said his office met with the preliminary. They said they were is well qualified to perform the proposed
problems,"he said. Maplewood city engineering office last reviewing all dump sites in the metro geohydrological study most effectively
The former dump in the Maplewood spring.At that time,Clark said,it was area.They wanted us to cleanup the site, and in a minimum time frame.
"leg"has not been used for several years. decided that"remedial measures"were It was just a typical housecleaning job.
It is a thin strip of land south of the needed to terminate the dump site.His "We haven't heard anything from them Among Barr Engineering's clients are
railroad tracks and west of Century office recommended grading be done at that has lead us to believe it is any dif- the Ramsey-Washington Metro Water-
Avenue about halfway between Stillwater the dump to"promote water runoff in- ferent from that,"Bittner said. shed District and the Valley Branch
Road and Larpenteur Avenue. stead of infiltration." He added,the city public works staff Watershed District. The City of
A concern expressed by PCA officials is The City of Maplewood owns the former has been hauling its surplus fill material Maplewood has contracted with the
that materials from the dump have been dump site,which has not been used for company in the past.
to the old dump and plans to regrade it.
entering the waterway that rum from the several years. Some of the dump is At press time,Lowell Ludford,senior
site into Beaver Creek and eventually, covered with topsoil and graded and other IN OAKDALE,former industrial waste specialist in the 3M public relations
Beaver Lake. parts are still exposed.Old refrigerators dump sites have been a source of much department,said his company expects its
Clark explained his office has compiled and other household refuse are visible.. controversy. Public officials and choice of a consulting firm to be ac-
a file on the Maplewood dump. The Maplewood Mayor John Greavu ex- residents in that community are con- ceptable to the PCA,the City of Oakdale
agency is presently working on active and pressed surprise at a recent city council cerned about industrial wastes seeping and Washington County.He noted Barr
inactive dumps that are larger and more meeting that the old dump is on a"high into their water and contaminating it. Engineering is well-known and respected
immediate problems. priority list."
Many of'the chemicals dumped in Oak- in engineering circles.