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Comment period on South Minneapolis arsenic risk assessement ends Nov. 17

Release Date: 10/23/2006
Contact Information: Mick Hans, (312) 353-5050, [email protected], Cheryl Allen, (312) 353-6196, [email protected]

CHICAGO (Oct. 23, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 is interested in public input on its assessment of health risks associated with EPA's ongoing cleanup of arsenic-contaminated soil in South Minneapolis.

EPA's technical document that will guide cleanup decisions, along with details on how to submit comments are posted at: www.epa.gov/region5/sites/cmcheartland/. The document "Interim Deliverable for the Human Health Risk Assessment" is also at the four site information repositories: Green Institute, 2801 21st Ave. S.; Minneapolis Police Department, 1201-B E. Franklin Ave.; Native American Community Clinic, 1213 E. Franklin Ave.; and Sustainable Resources Association, 1081 10th Ave. S.E.

Residents with questions may contact EPA Project Manager Tim Prendiville, (800) 621-8431, Ext. 65122, direct (312) 886-5122, or [email protected]. Formal comments on the risk assessment may also be e-mailed to Prendiville.

The comment period ends Nov. 17. Based on comments and information provided to EPA, the agency may revise the document or approach to the risk assessment.

The South Minneapolis site encompasses a number of neighborhoods near the intersection of 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue, where the CMC Heartland Lite Yard operated from about 1938 to 1963. An arsenic-containing pesticide was produced there and material from an open-air railcar-unloading and product-mixing operation is believed to have been wind-blown into nearby neighborhoods.

Since 2004, EPA has collected soil samples from more than 3,000 properties in the area. To date, about 200 properties have shown arsenic contamination above EPA's action level. About 60 of these properties have been cleaned up with work on the others scheduled to continue through 2007.

Separately, a comment period on EPA's proposed addition of the South Minneapolis site to the Superfund National Priorities List is also underway. Comments on the NPL proposal must be postmarked by Nov. 27, 2006. Comments may be e-mailed to [email protected].

Information on submitting comments by regular or express mail and background on the NPL process is at www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm. Information on EPA's activities at the site over the past few years is at www.epa.gov/region5/sites/cmcheartland/