EPA proposes partial deletion of South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination site from Superfund list
Public comment period ends June 14
CHICAGO (MAY 18, 2021) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to delete five properties in the South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination site from the Superfund's National Priorities List. EPA previously deleted all but nine residential properties from the NPL. Soil sampling shows that these five properties do not require cleanup and should be deleted from the NPL. Four properties remain on the NPL and require cleanup. EPA will clean up two properties and will continue to seek access to clean up the other two properties.
The South Minneapolis site is near a former manufacturing plant where arsenic-based pesticides were made. EPA added the site to the NPL in 2007. Experts believe that during plant operations, powder-like arsenic trioxide was blown into the surrounding neighborhoods and contaminated the soil. EPA has already cleaned up many other properties in the neighborhood, but sampling results show arsenic contamination is not a threat to human health or the environment at these five properties.
The NPL tracks the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Sites on the list are eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program and once all the remedies are successfully implemented, EPA removes sites or parts of sites from the list.
Superfund law requires regular reviews of sites after cleanups are completed to ensure that the remedy continues to effectively protect human health and the environment. A proposed or final deletion does not prevent future actions under the Superfund law.
EPA will take public comments until June 14. Please send comments to:
For more information: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/south-minneapolis-soil.
Final close out report: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/05/2003238.pdf.
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