The Oakdale Dump is an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Oakdale, Minnesota , and comprises three non-contiguous properties that were used for dumping from the late 1940s until the 1950s by the 3M corporation. The properties are named the Abresch, Brockman, and Eberle sites for their respective property owners at the time of disposal activities. The Abresch site is the largest of the three properties at about 55 acres. The Brockman site is located immediately southwest of the Abresch site and encompasses 5 acres. The Eberle site is located roughly 2,500 feet north of the Abresch site and encompasses 2 acres.
19-539: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigated the three properties in 1980. Analysis of waste samples indicated that a variety of hazardous substances, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), had been disposed in trenches at the Abresch and Brockman sites. Soil sampling at the Eberle site revealed a small amount of heavy metal contaminants . The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed
38-454: A city park, the 5-acre Brockman site has been partially redeveloped for commercial use while the most heavily polluted property, the 55-acre Abresch site is still undeveloped and undergoing cleanup. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ( MPCA ) is a Minnesota state agency that monitors environmental quality, offers technical and financial assistance, and enforces environmental regulations for
57-598: A conservationist, had introduced a bill giving the WPCC power to enforce rules preventing contamination of groundwater. The Rosenmeier Act was passed on May 22. Public demand resulted in an amendment to prohibit the storage of waste where it could enter state waters. The Rosenmeier Act sparked additional legislation on environmental protection. It also led to the creation of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in 1967. The Pollution Control Agency
76-508: A dangerous slick that coincided with the annual migration of waterfowl. Citizens began rescuing and cleaning ducks but were overwhelmed by the number of birds affected. Pine Bend resident George Serbesku brought oil-covered birds to the capitol to ask for assistance. On March 30, 1963, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Management sent officers to rescue waterfowl. On March 31, 172 dead ducks were identified and 300 more were rescued for cleaning. As oil entered nesting areas, Governor Karl Rolvaag declared
95-655: A demand to control water pollution. On December 7, 1962, workers at the Richards Oil Plant in Savage forgot to open steam lines that heated oil pipes at the plant. On December 8, these pipes burst in low temperatures. They spilled one million gallons of petroleum into the Minnesota River. By January 24, 1963, the Department of Health traced downstream oil back to Richards Oil. Employees claimed only
114-431: A hazardous waste landfill for disposal. Excavated soils with low levels of contamination were treated on-site utilizing construction aeration pads. Approximately 173,000 gallons of contaminated water was collected during excavation activities and transported for treatment at the 3M Chemolite facility. Abandonment of multi-aquifer wells was completed in 1984. There had previously been 44 multi-aquifer wells identified within
133-411: A small leak had occurred. The Department of Health requested that Richards Oil clean up the oil but could only take action if there was a public health emergency. Richards continued to drain oil until March. On January 23, 1963, a storage tank collapsed at Honeymead Products Company. The accident violently spilled 3.5 million gallons of soybean oil into downtown Mankato . The company recovered some of
152-491: A state of emergency on April 3. No state organization existed to respond so two units of the Minnesota National Guard were activated. Public Health Services determined that birds could not see the colorless soybean oil. Exposed birds suffocated or had damaged feathers. This left them unable to move and vulnerable to hypothermia . Birds rescued for cleaning had only a ten percent survival rate. On April 6,
171-661: The Mississippi River oil spill . The agency planned to test the entire 650-mile length (1,050 km) of the Mississippi River within the state for the first time in 2024. Mississippi River oil spill (1962%E2%80%9363) In 1962 and 1963, industrial accidents spilled 3.5 million gallons of oil into the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers . The oil covered the Mississippi River from St. Paul to Lake Pepin , creating an ecological disaster and
190-588: The MPCA to address perfluorinated compound (PFC) contamination, since PFCs are not listed as hazardous substances by Superfund law the EPA was not a signatory. In September 1982, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) conducted excavation tests in the trenches at the Abresch site and buried drum stockpiles were identified. 3M commissioned a surface cleanup of wastes at the Abresch site beginning in
209-806: The National Guard told Governor Rolvaag that they were struggling to remove oil from the Mississippi. Instead, the rescue effort began diverting oil from the marshes ducks nested in. On April 8, 1963, the Coast Guard broke the ice on Lake Pepin so oil could disperse safely downriver. The spill caused 3,211 known duck deaths and damaged other bird, mammal, fish, and turtle populations. Water samples taken in June showed little biological activity in areas that had been healthy in April. Long-term damage to life
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#1732801839239228-607: The Oakdale Dump site on the Superfund National Priorities List on September 8, 1983. A variety of hazardous substances, including VOCs such as isopropyl ether (IPE) and benzene , were disposed at the three sites. Soil sampling at the Eberle site revealed minimal heavy metals contamination . Analysis of residential well water revealed that nine shallow wells were contaminated with hazardous substances. In 2007 3M signed an agreement with
247-530: The State of Minnesota. The MPCA finds and cleans up spills and leaks that can affect public health and the environment. The MPCA staff develops statewide policies and supports environmental education, working with such partners as citizens, municipalities, businesses, environmental groups, and educators to prevent pollution and conserve resources. The agency was created on May 18, 1967, to further strengthen Senator Gordon Rosenmeier 's environmental policies following
266-621: The groundwater plume. Of these 44 wells, 39 were abandoned, 3 were added to the monitoring well network, and 2 were found to be single aquifer wells completed within an unaffected aquifer. Wells were abandoned in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Health Water Well Construction Code. EPA completed the first five-year review at the site in March 1993 and MPCA completed the second five-year review in March 1998. The third five-year review, completed by EPA in April 2004, found that
285-418: The groundwater remedy was removing VOCs from the glacial drift and was controlling plume migration. In 2009, MPCA completed the fourth five-year review which found that the remedy is functioning as intended and is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Long-term protectiveness will be ensured once institutional controls are in place. The 2-acre Eberle site has since been redeveloped as
304-556: The oil, but citizens drained 2.5 million gallons of it into nearby rivers. In March, the ice on the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers thawed, depositing oil between St. Paul and Lake Pepin. The Twin Cities dumped industrial waste into this area of the river and the oil was unnoticed. This changed on March 28, 1963. Residents noticed oil-covered ducks struggling in the Mississippi River. Ice on Lake Pepin had dammed floating oil, creating
323-581: The winter of 1983. During the excavation activities, a total of 11,500 cubic yards of waste material was removed including 4,200 empty drums, 8,700 empty 5-gallon pails, 4,660 cubic yards of contaminated soil, and 15 intact containers that were over-packed. Most of the waste, 11,800 tons, was transported to the 3M Chemolite incinerator in Cottage Grove , Minnesota. An additional 6,500 tons of excavated waste containing more than 50 parts per million (ppm) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were transported to
342-406: Was attributed to oil on the river bottom consuming oxygen as it decayed. Fish and insect eggs in the riverbed suffocated and large fish deaths occurred throughout the year. Citizens were outraged by the damage done to riverbanks and wildlife. The government received thousands of dollars in donations to rehabilitate ducks, the primary victims of the tragedy. At the time industrial dumping into rivers
361-509: Was common. The only agency regulating water pollution was the Water Pollution Control Commission (WPCC). The WPCC was part of Public Health Services and could only act if a health emergency was created. Therefore, officials had to wait for permission from Honeymead and Richards to inspect their businesses. The sites of the spills could not be seen until April 6. On January 30, 1963, Senator Gordon Rosenmeier ,
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