Dump Assessment Study
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Dump A report to the Minnesota Legislature on the Assessment screening and assessment of Minnesotas 1,800 Study old dumps February 2001 Cover photo: Kerrick Dump in Pine County. Page 1 photo: Randall Dump in Morrison County Cost of producing 500 copies of this report include: n Staff time, $8,250 n Printing and Production, $1,750 n Mailing and Distribution, $500 If you are interested in Phase I or II assessments or screening information for specific dumps, contact Gary Krueger, MPCA Policy and Planning Division, (651) 296-6139. Policy and Planning Division 520 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 (651) 296-6300 Toll-free/TDD (800) 657-3864 http://www.pca.state.mn.us Dump Assessment Study A report to the Minnesota Legislature on the screening and assessment of Minnesotas 1,800 old dumps February 2001 Prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Health Executive Summary In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature authorized Minnesota has approximately 1,800 old dumps, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency based upon previous and current dump (MPCA) to use $1 million from the Solid inventories. Most dumps are near small towns Waste Fund to conduct environmental and communities where people disposed of assessments at old dumps (unpermitted mixed- garbage in the past by dumping it in pits, municipal solid-waste sites). The Omnibus ravines or wetlands. In most cases, very little Environmental and Agricultural Budget Bill, was known about the health or environmental Chapter 231, which amended Minnesota impacts of these dumps. This study provides a Statute 115B.42, contained the appropriation. clearer picture about the health, environmental The MPCA accelerated the study to coincide and economic impacts of old dumps and what with the 2001 legislative budget session, instead role, if any, the State of Minnesota should play of reporting in 2002, as originally required. in investigating and reducing risk at old dumps. 1 The studys main focus was to identify dumps investigative work, based primarily on risk. that have the potential for releases of hazardous Those that appeared to pose the highest substances and a high probability of becoming potential risk to nearby receptors merited public health or environmental threats if further investigation, in keeping with risk- releases occurred. based decision making used for other types of remediation sites. The MPCA and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) conducted a screening process of The Phase II work focused on collecting the approximately 1,800 dumps in the state, analytical data from soil or water samples at the consisting of reviewing locations, waste-disposal dumps to document if releases of hazardous and land-use information and conducting on- substances had occurred. In addition, MDH site inspections. This screening effort did not collected samples from drinking water wells include those dumps that have already been (both public and private) located in close evaluated under the State Superfund Program proximity to 35 of the 46 dumps, to determine (i.e. Pigs Eye Landfill, Brooklyn Park Dump) whether dumps under study posed a threat to or the MPCAs Voluntary Investigation and drinking water supplies. Cleanup Program (i.e. Rochester Dump, Stillwater Dump). Nor did it include an After completing the Phase I and Phase II evaluation of farm dumps. The screening, investigations, the MPCA found that a high which followed appropriate MPCA risk-based potential for risk exists at four of the dumps at guidance, produced 46 dumps that met the which Phase II assessment work was done. criteria, representing possible worst-case These four dumps are: circumstances a potential for a hazardous substance release and the likelihood that such a n The Fish Hatchery Dump in Ramsey release would cause adverse health or County, environmental impacts. n The Minnesota Valley Landfill in Scott County, The agencies conducted Phase I environmental n The Hoeffler Dump in Chisago County, and assessments at the 46 worst-case dumps. The n The Hoover Dump in Rice County. Phase I assessments consisted of: These warrant additional action to determine n Review of available records, files and infor- the extent and magnitude of contamination, mation about the dump, to determine how it evaluate risks associated with the dump, and was used and by whom; determine appropriate cleanup actions. The n Evaluation of potential human and ecological owner/operator should conduct these receptors who could be adversely affected investigations and enroll in the MPCAs by dump contaminants; and Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) n Determination of potential hazardous sub- Program for oversight. If the owner or stance exposure pathways (ways that con- operator does not choose to conduct the taminants can actually get to receptors). necessary work, the MPCA intends to use its statutory authority to conduct the necessary After reviewing Phase I assessments for the 46 investigation to determine the actual risk at dumps, the MPCA selected 17 for Phase II these dumps. 2 Also, MDH has recommended additional Based on the results of this study and other monitoring of drinking water wells near two evaluations done by the MPCA and MDH, the other dumps, the Sunrise Dump in Chisago agencies conclude that: County and the Vermillion Dump in Dakota County. A Phase II assessment was not done at n A limited number of dumps currently the Sunrise Dump and may be necessary, appear to pose a threat to public health or depending on MDH monitoring results. the environment and warrant additional Additional action at the Vermillion Dump, by MPCA or MDH action. Through the either the owner/operator or MPCA, will also screening effort and this dump assessment depend on MDH monitoring results. study, the MPCA has determined that at this time no additional assessment by the MPCA The MPCA and MDH do not recommend is necessary at more than 1,750 dump sites further state investigation at the remaining known by the agency to exist in the State. dumps at which Phase II work has been This is based on current information about completed. However, despite their lower each site, the current site conditions and potential for risk, these dumps still warrant current land use surrounding these dumps. further attention by the owners or operators. n A number of old dumps do pose some At many of the dumps MPCA and MDH limited and localized problems, such as evaluated, during both the Phase I and II parts contaminated surface soils or exposed scrap of the study, physical hazards (scrap metal, for material, and are best alleviated by additional example) could pose a threat to the public. In cover or other appropriate management addition, surface waste material and debris at practices. some dumps had the potential to erode into n Risks posed by old dumps collectively are adjacent surface-water bodies. Phase II results not as high an environmental priority as also defined surficial soil contamination at other air, water and land contamination some dumps. These soils could pose a risk of issues, and therefore are not significant direct exposure to a receptor. A simple enough to warrant a new or separate cleanup solution to concerns about surface exposures at program. many dumps would be removing debris and waste material at the surface and applying appropriate soil cover. Such actions were required at the time of the dump closure and would not constitute an additional or new regulatory burden. This study evaluated old dumps based on current land-use conditions. As is true for any dump, a change in land use at or near a dump changes the environmental and human receptors and the potential risk. Plans for development at and near dumps should include Surface debris covers the Aitkin Dump, one of appropriate assessments to determine potential the study dumps, which is a common problem risks associated with a change in land use. and a physical hazard at many locations. 3 Background environmental staffs to ascertain local perspectives on potential risk. In some cases, During the 1999 State Legislative session, the county staff accompanied MPCA during site MPCA requested and was authorized to use as inspections or conducted inspections and much as $1 million from the Solid Waste Fund reported findings to the agency. to assess old municipal dumps. The Minnesota Legislatures intent in authorizing the study It must be emphasized that this was a screening was to determine what impact, if any, old effort, rather than an intensive or detailed dumps have on the environment and what role assessment (such as the Phase I and II the state should play in dump evaluation. assessments conducted on a limited number of dumps). Staff followed established MPCA Site MPCAs initial proposal was to conduct Remediation Risk-Based Guidance in making environmental assessments at dumps and report decisions regarding which dumps required findings to the Legislature by December 2001. agency follow-up. During the screening The MPCA accelerated the timing of the study process, MPCA staff identified approximately to coincide with the 2001 session, which is the 75 dumps that had the potential to have a budget session for the FY02-03 biennium. release and had a higher potential to pose a risk to public health or the environment. Of these, An Open Dump Inventory, completed in 1980, the MPCA selected 46 that represented the identified 1,800 dumps in Minnesota and was worst case dumps to be part of the study. used as a base list for the screening process. In 1985, the Legislative Commission on The decision to conduct assessments at 46 Minnesota Resources funded the MPCA to do dumps was based on available resources, an environmental survey of 15 dumps. In 1998, timeframes for study completion, and statewide the MPCA began screening all potentially geographical distribution.