United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The removal action at the residential component of the Western Mineral Products site began in October 2000.  Since that time over 1600 residential properties have been inspected for the presence of asbestos containing materials at surface level.  Of those, over 260 have been remediated.  The asbestos containing materials are suspected to have come from the former Western Mineral Products exfoliation plant, owned and operated by WR Grace until the late 1980's.  This facility processed ore from the Libby Montana mine.  There is evidence the waste material from the exfoliation process was piled outside the plant and made available to the general public free of charge.  Hundreds of neighbors took this waste home and used it as fill in their yards, gardens and driveways.

This year, 2005, we are back to address contamination at a park, Gluek Park, property of the Minneapolis Park District.  The Park site is a former brewery and seems like waste from the Western Mineral plant was used as fill when the brewery was demolished.  EPA inspected the Park in 2003, found it to be contaminated, and the Park has been closed since.  On June 13, 2005, we began removal activities at the site, which encompasses about 2.6 acres including 550 lineal feet along the Mississippi River.  The scope of work for this removal includes the stabilization of the slope, excavation and off site disposal of contaminated soils, and the restoration and re-vegetation of the Park.  It is expected this project will last at least 4 months.

During this reporting period we continue excavating.  Grid numbers 9, 10 and 11 were completed, and grids 19 and 20 were started.  All excavated areas were backfilled.  Also, we started the disposal of the contaminated soil previously stockpiled.  Between Thursday and Friday last week, 24 trucks were loaded.  Each truck holds 22 tons, so approximately 528 tons of contaminated soil were removed from site and disposed of at the Superior Landfill facility in Buffalo, Minnesota.  Each truck is lined with puncture resistant plastic prior to loading.  Continuous watering controls dust, and perimeter air  monitoring occurs through the entire truck loading process.  The puncture resistant plastic is then wrapped and sealed around the load, the trucks are placarded, tarped and the tires are cleared of visible dirt before they leave site.  Please refer to the images section for photos of all these activities.

For the next reporting period we will continue excavating grid numbers 7 and 8, and disposal activities.

Continue excavating asbestos containing soils and backfilling excavated areas.  We are still awaiting for the water level at the Mississippi River to go down so we can proceed with the river shore work.

None at this time.