10 NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV COVERAGE OF MPCA ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES COMPILED DAILY BY THE MPCA PUBLIC INFORMATION
APRIL 14, 1986 LAREINE BENGTSON 296-7373
.eill« -n TyI Tarrp r drinking watei By Jirn Ragsda monitor the water for at least 30 torney General Hubert H. Hum- SlatlWr.ler years. phrey III and state Pollution Con- Rcilly Tar and Chemical Corp. Also, the settlement requires trol Agency executive director Reilly to pay $1.7 million to the Tom Kalitowski also praised the has agreed to help clean up drink- agreement. ing water in St. Louis Park be- federal government and fl million lieved contaminated by an old to the state for the costs in fighting Robert Polack, vice president the case. for the Indianapolis-based compa- company operation, state, federal ny, said Reilly Tar is pleased that ,ind local officials said Friday. Reilly also must set up a $1 mil- lawsuits that began in 1970 over The agreement, which must be lion fund for the city of St. Louis government efforts to clean up the approved by a number of govern- Park. That money would be used to site appear to be drawing to a ment bodies, ends Minnesota's carry out clean-up measures in the close. longest -running hazardous waste agreement. There was no specific "We'd rather put our resources battle. provision covering the city's past into the remedy than into fighting The plan calls on Reilly to build costs, which one official said about it," Polack said. a filtration system to purify drink- amounted to "several million dol- Reilly Tar, a privately held com- ing water from two contaminated lars" over the past 10-15 years. pany with chemical and refining St. Louis Park ^'ells, to investigate "Tc."ay is truly a great day for operations in several states, oper- ar,d control the spread of contami- St. Louis Park," said Lyle Hanks, ated a plant on an 80-acre site near n^nis in ar^a ground water and to mayor of the city. Minnesota At- St. Louis Park from 1918 to !97l. then sold the property to the city. According to the PCA. wastes from a coal-tar distillation process and a wood-treating operation, as well as spills and leaks of various hazardous materials, contaminated announc the soil. Over the years, the mate- rials soaked into underground bod- ies of water tapped by the city for Rei public use. Sii St. Louis Park city wells and one Hopkins municipal well have 3> Randy been taken out of operation since Staff Writer 1978 because small quantities of compounds known as polynuclear After 17 years of wrangling, the aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. stale's worst soil contamination saga were fou'id in the wells. These may tx; over soon. compounds are suspected of posing A tentative settlement was an- a cancer risk. nounced Friday in the legal dispute over the Rcilly Tar and Chemical Corporation's hazardous-waste site in Si. Louis Purk.
Fe.'.eral. suite, city and company no- gr.iiatorj participated In the agree- ment
"It's a great thing for our communi- ty." said Mayor Lyle Hanks of St. Looii Furk. Stale Anorney General EPA Region 5 Records Ctr. Hubert Humphrey III snld he recom- lurndii approval when the Minnesota P':!lution Control Agency (MSVA) lv>-,rj ir.c^t: April 22 234513 ' >, ;«r operalcd a creosote pro- Under the proposed settlement, Reil- A public meeting is 9cb«iu!e
A <£MiTi mmiT3* M billtU/ilit By 8*rtn forecasts of community growth changed from the first plan draft, and development were considera- tie council notes in the document V«iD Cities suburbs may find the bly below expectations of local of- text that it will be flexible in pro- l.'fciropohiafl Council's revised de- ficials. viding public facilities il the fore- velopimnt plan to have a more 1 Using the forecasts, the Metro- casts prove inaccurate. fli-iibit approach than its contro- politan Council plans sewer exten- "The council will monitor its •v'orir.] prcidt'jessor, issued last sions and highway construction to forecasts every five years to deter- wi.iK-r Tht plan is scheduled for a accommodate growth. Because it mine whether differences in actual May 15 hearing sees slow growth ahead, the coun- vs. forecasted development war- Vh;- >.;ar 2000 plan ran into criti- cil took pains to rein in develop- rant any changes in regional in tii-? suMirbs because its ment expectations. plans," the document says. Although the forecasts are un- However, the plan emphasizes Recycling plant receives approval
to bypasJ A CX/fc*su tire-shreddinV/>V6^ gO proces1 s A new tire recycling plant near The company approached the months, said Martin Paquay. Rub- Babbitt couid be up and running St. Louis County Board, which ber Research's chief financial offi- within two months — without any owns the plant, on Monday for cer. Fifty to 60 workers will be tires. permission to temporarily bypass needed once the plant Is complete. In fact, tires won't be used until the tire-shredding process. Rubber There already are two buildings September. Research wants to buy scrap rub- on the she, Paquay said. A third. The plant is being designed to ber and use it to make the first few larger building will be finished in grind up scrap tires and turn them batches of Tirecycle. When the September and will house the tire- into Tirecycle, a rubberiike sub- tire-shredding machinery is in shredding machinery, he said. stance that can be used to make piace in the fall, the company will Meanwhile, the company will floor mats, car parts and other switch to Urea as its raw material. buy the equipment needed to turn items. The board, meeting as a commit- •crap rubber toto Tirecycle and Rubber Research Elastomerics tee of the whole, tentatively ap- will put it into an existing build- of Minneapolis, the plant manag- proved the company's plan. Final ing. ers, said its tire-shredding machin- approval is expected at the full St. Louis County will own the ery won't be in place until Septem- board meeting Monday. plant and will lease it to Rubber ber. But the company wants to The plan means that about 7 to Research, which developed and start making Tirecycle before 10 people will begin working at patented the Tirecycle process. then. the Babbitt site within about two
Reilly will provide a system to In other action at its monthly purify water from two St Louis meeting, the board: Park city wells that were closed when the contamination was dis- • Learned that the first criminal Accord complaint the PCA has pursued covered. The company will also pay a total of $3.7 million to feder- against an industry for violating is reached al state and city agencies to cover hazardous waste disposal laws re- on cleanup past and future costs. Ptoas««e«PCA/3D By Jtan Ragsdato Staff Writer The Minnesota Pollution Control PCA Agency board voted Tuesday to ap- Continued from Pag* ID orove an agreement under which nal complaints against polluters e Reilly Tar and Chemical Corp. suited in a guilty plea this month. who knowingly violate hazardous waste rules. -will help clean up toxic wastes Theodore Husom, owner of Flo- dumped on an old industrial site in rock Northwest Inc., pleaded guilty • Approved an environmental St. Louis Park. to a gross misdemeanor for the un- study oo a pulp and paper mill The board approved the agree- lawful disposal of hazardous waste, project to be built by Pentair Inc. ment between Reilly and the PCA according'to PCA executive direc- and Minnesota Power in Duluth. A staff by a unanimous voice vote. tor Tom Kalitowski The company PCA staff report said concerns Board member Keith Langmo pleaded guilty to a felony for on-, were expressed by the public about called it "an excellent settlement." -possible dioxin contamination lawful disposal, Kalitowski said. from the mill But the report The federal Environmental Pro- Be said the company will pay tection Agency also must approve stated that "DO potential for such $15,000 to the state saperfund as contamination is believed to exist." the agreement, which was unveiled part of the agreement. Husom last week. On Monday night, the St. The companies must return to the received a two-day jail sentence PCA for various air and water per- Louis Park City Council approved and was placed on probation for it, 7-0. mits. two years, Kalitowski said. • Approved the addition of 23 The agreement commits the The complaint alleged that the new sites, including 14 sanitary company to a plan of monitoring company, which applies chemical landfills where chemicals are leak- and cleaning up groundwater be- •coatings to floors, was dumping ing into groundwater, to the state's lieved to be contaminated by waste chemicals on the ground, in priority list of hazardous waste dumps and spills at a Reilly wood- dumpsten or down floor drains at sites. The list now contains 123 preserving plant, which is now various job sites. Kalitowski said sites slated for cleanup under the closed. If approved by all the agen- the agency intends to pursue crimi- state superfund program. cies involved, the agreement would end years of legal battles over cleanup efforts at the site. Reilly Tar case City approves settlement by Gregory Dullum desired result on one hand, ment as "obviously less than the A recent settlement with Reil- against the risk of losing at trial ideal agreement." He said, ly Tar and Chemical Co. receiv- on the other," he continued. "I "Everyone would like changes ed unanimous approval from the believe, on balance, the city of — including Reilly." St Louis Park City Council April St. Louis Park and the greater "The signing of a good agree- a. V-- public interest is served by settl- ment is when no one is complete- The tentative'agreement drew ing this lawsuit now." ly happy with it," said Coun- to a dose an eight-year legal bat- "There is a time to fight on cilman Thomas Duffy. \ tle that involved city, state and and a time to move on," said Under the agreement, Reilly federal agencies. Under the 'Councilman Allen Friedman. will pay $1.72 million to the agreement; Reilly will take "The fighting time is over and federal Superfund and $1 million remedial. action to clean up the moving time is here. We are to the Minnesota Superfund for groundwater contamination that providing for the city safe and investigative and legal costs. occurred between 1918 and 1972 potable drinking water." Reilly will also pay St. Louis while Reilly operated a coal-tar Long-time Councilman Keith Park $1 million to cover future distillation and wood- Meland said, "I've invested a lit- costs of running clean-up opera- preservation plant in St Louis tle over 12 years of time and tions. Park. study on this issue." He said he But St. Louis Park will not be "Deciding whether to settle a felt the funding from Reilly will reimbursed for past costs. •vsuit or go to trial is never an be adequate. "I have confidence "The city did not seek past easy decision," said Councilman this agreement will do the job." cost to insure we'd get to this David Strand, who is an at- Counciman Ronald Backes point — a settlement," Mitchell torney. "When the stakes are reminded those at the council said. high, as in this case, that deci- meeting of the many hours the Mayor Lyle Hanks said the sion is even'more difficult council has spent in executive state and federal agencies were "The decision is always a mat- sessions discussing litigation. reimbursed for "hard costs" — ter of balancing — balancing the . Councilman Larry Mitchell for work not done by people on certainty of obtaining part of a described the tentative agree- REILLY: To Page 2
Reilly settlement ok'dFrom Page 1 eir staffs. Neither state and A major step to provide ade- director for St Louis Park, said icderal agencies nor St. Louis quate drinking water is the the city will take over and main- Park were'reimbursed for their Granular Activated Carbon tain the water systems once they "soft costs" or staff time, be water-treatment plant Reilly are built by Reilly. "We want to said. built at.29th Street and Idaho be able to control our own "I want to thank this council Avenue. Once operational this' system. That's our desire," he for the time you've put in on spring, it will filter the water of said. this," Hanks continued. He two contaminated dry wells. On the issue of past costs, estimated 100 to 200 hours were To dean up the groundwater Hanks said, "We're hoping there spent in executive sessions. "We contamination, "source wells" will be money left over (from the owe you our debt of thanks. The will pump continually, removing $1 million contingency fund). people of St Louis Park won't contaminated water from the The issue of past cost was not have to worry about their water aquifers. pursued because "we (the city) supply and their water," be said. Robohm said four wells will are the owner of the property," The agreement was discussed pump contaminated water into Hanks said of the Reilly Tar site. in detail at a public meeting the sanitary sewer sytem. The "We're not sure when we pur- April 17. cost will be picked by Reilly, chased the property if we picked At that meeting, Doug Hanks said. up some of the liability." Robohm of the Minnesota Folia- A fifth well will pump ground- The agreement does not pre- tion Control Agency said there water into a "surface water vent individuals from bringing were three goals to the agree- area" — Minnehaha Creek, the their own lawsuits against Reil- ment: chain of Lakes or the Mississip- ly, Minnesota Attorney General • Be sure the residents of St pi, said Robohm. Hubert Humphrey ID said in a Louis Park have safe drinking Dan Bicknel, remedial project press conference April 11. water; manager, said the level of con- The agreement has been sign- • Prevent the further spread of taminants in the surface water ed by Reilly but must be approv- contamination in the ground- will not be greatly increased if ed by several agencies before it water; this is done. becomes final. Final approval is Jim Grube. oublic exnected bv June 1 NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRON COMPILED DAILY BY THE MPCA PU
APRIL 22, 1986 LAREINE E
St. Louis Park council approves agreemen"""~~" t wit.----h. g.Reill^ y Tar Corp. The city of St Louis Park gave its the U.S. Department of Justice, am approval Monday to an agreement two companies with an Interest li ending- its 17-year battle over well housing and commercial develop water pollution 'from the Reilly Tar ments at the site. and Chemical Corp. Under the proposed settlement, Reil Tbe city is the first of a long string of ly would undertake an extensive "re- private and governmental bodies medial action" plan designed tc that must approve the pact. But SL "provide a safe drinking water sup- Louis Park Mayor Lyle Hanks was ply In sufficient quantity for St. Louis optimistic about the city's action. Park and surrounding communities." "For our city it's a start in cleaning Reilly would pay $3.72 million for up and getting on with a Job that cleanup efforts to the federal gov- needs to be done," Hanks said. "We ernment, the state government and hope the other agencies can move .to a contingency fund for St Louis with us." Park's future costs. Reilly was charged by state health The company would provide a car- officials In 1970 for having contami- bon filtration system to purify water nated ground water with possibly from two city wells scheduled to be cancer-causing coal-tar wastes dur- reopened la Jane, investigate and ing the 50 years that It operated a control the spread of contamination creosote plant at Hwy. 7 and Louisi- in five ground water aquifers, close ana Av. Reilly closed the plant in private wells, if necessary, and moni- 1971, but in the meantime residents tor ground water for at least 30 have turned to bottled water, five of years. SL Louis Park's six public wells and another In Hopkins have been closed St Louis Park residents first noticed and SL Louis Park has suffered wa- a tariike taste in their water In 1933. ter shortages. In 1969 tbe city hired an engineering firm to Investigate air and water The settlement agreed to by SL Louis pollution at the site. The firm found Park officials yesterday still must be phenols, which come from coal tar, ratified by the SL Louis Park Hous- In the soil and la dry well water. Toe ing and Redevelopment Authority, MPCA and the dty filed suit again- the Hopkins City Council, the Minne- stReilly In 1970. sota attorney general, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) The proposed agreement was an- and Department of Health, the U.S. nounced by government and Reilly Environmental Protection Agency, officials April 11. NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV COVERAGE OF MPCA ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES COMPILED DAILY BY THE MPCA PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE April 21, 1986 Elaine Zoch 296-7373
Plaudit•p.TV«s sv/z- By Jbn ftegsdato lead levels, either in the soil or the blood, level of 1,000 parts per million are found. SUH WriMr are a cause for concern. the health department is to step in and sur- Minnesota officials last week began coo- vey children in the area for high lead lev- Ing field tests to see if Twin Cities "My attitude is, well see what we find, els. The two agencies would then try to de- w_^.dren are being exposed to high lead and go from there," said Doug Benson, cide how to solve the problem. levels in their play areas. coordinator of the lead program at the state Health Department As the state gets its program under way. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency anti-lead activists are expected today to began testing soils at inner city play- Dmle Trippler, a project leader for the take their case for a city testing program grounds, day care centers and lead-con- PCA's lead program, underscored the im- to the St Paul Board of Health. Represent- taminated industrial sites as part of a new portance of the search because of lead's atives of the Lead Coalition, a group that state initiative aimed at getting a better Insidious effects on preschool-aged chil- has been pushing for lead legislation and understanding of the issue. dren. has been monitoring the state program. The soil testing is taking place amid a "The population we're looking at pro- and ACORN, a coalition of neighborhood continuing debate about the definition of tecting is not in a position to protect It- Pfeaae see LMOV2B the problem. For several years, there has self ." be said. groups, say they are seeking sup- been heated discussion about the effects of port for a pilot project of blood- Day care centers, playgrounds, parks aad soil-testing in selected areas of lead on Minnesota's urban environment. and schools will be the top priority for Many anti-lead activists, Including How- the city. 'testing, said Trippler, who by the end of Largely by virtue of its use in ard Mielke, a St Paul geographer who has iMnnmer hopes to have gathered 1,000 to done extensive soil testing in the Twin Cit- paint and gasoline, lead is a ubiqui- 1,500 samples from 300 to 500 locations, tous fact of urban life that has lec, believe lead can be harmful at ex- including some 60 day-care centers in Min- tremely tow levels, and that action should found its way into our blood- neapolis and St Paul. He hopes also to streams to varying degrees. Its be taken to prevent minute exposures take samples from other cities, including from dust in playground soil. karmful effects range from severe .Rochester, St Cloud and Duluth. brain damage at very high levels Come government officials, however, The goal will be to report to the Legisla- •f lead poisoning to more subtle ef- question whether lead in the soil is the ture by next Jan. 1 on the extent of the fects, including teaming problems chief source of lead in a child's blood- problem and what, If anything, should be and the lowering of IQ, at moder- stream. Others qsection whether very low done If levels above a predetermined ate levels. sound clips CLIENT PCA STATION KSJN AM DATE 4/23/86 LENGTH .18 SCRIPT F 340 TIME 7:05 AM 'iH aula Drake A plan to cleanup contaminated groundwater in St. Louis Park was given final approval yesterday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.. Tom Meersman has the story: chroeder The opinion according to AMA delegate Dr. Dick Frey is a clarification of a policy most physicians have been prac... •rake Well, that's not Tom Meersman. We will have that report for you a little bit later on. POM INFORMATION CALL («1«) »4«-1i»« sound clips CLIENT STATION KSJN AM 4/23/86 SCRIPT F 344 TIME 7:30 AM :57 Paula Drake A plan to cleanup contaminated groundwater in St. Louis Park was given final approval yesterday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency- With a report, here's Tom Meersman. Meersman The PCA Citizens Board voted unanimously to accept what was announced as a tentative settlement on April llth. The agreement requires Reilly Tar and Chemical to pay one point seven millin dollars to the federal superfund, one million to the state superfund and another million to the city of St. Louis Park. The money will pay for legal costs, investigation, cleanup and monitoring associated with groundwater contamination from Reilly's former coal tar and creosote plant. PCA Executive Director Tom Kalitowski: Kalitowski We now feel that we've reached an agreement which guarantees the citizens of St. Louis Park clean water which was our number one priority. We also feel that we have in place the..the kinds of items which will assure us that if there are ar.y futures problems we'll be able to identify them at the earliest state and deal with them successfully. Meersman If the agreement is approved as expected by federal officials it will become effective early this summer. I'm Tom Meersman. POM INFORMATION CALL (111) §4i-1«S5 NEWSPAPER, RADIO AND TV COVERAGE OF MPCA ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - COMPILED DAILY BY THE MPCA PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE APRIL 23, 1986 LAREINE BENGTSON 296-7373 Accord suited in a guilty plea this month. Theodore Husom, owner of Flo- rock Northwest Inc., pleaded guilty is reached to a gross misdemeanor for the un- lawful disposal of hazardous waste, according to PCA executive direc- on cleanup tor Tom Kalitowski. The company pleaded guilty to a felony for un- By Jim fteffsdato St«« Writer lawful disposal, Kalitowski said. The Minnesota Pollution Control He said the company will pay Agency board voted Tuesday to ap- 115,000 to the state superfund as prove an agreement under which part of the agreement. Husom the Rally Tar and Chemical Corp. received a two-day jail sentence will help clean up toxic wastes and was placed on probation for dumped on an old industrial site in two years, Kalitowski said. St Louis Park. The complaint alleged that the The board approved the agree- company, which applies chemical ment between Reilly and the PCA coatings to floors, was dumping staff by a unanimous voice vote. waste chemicals on the ground, in Board member Keith Langrno dumpsters or down floor drains at called it "an excellent settlement" various job sites. Kalitowski said The federal Environmental Pro- the agency intends to pursue crimi- tection Agency also must approve nal complaints against polluters the agreement, which was unveiled who knowingly violate hazardous last week. On Monday night, the St waste rules. Louis Park City Council approved it, 7-0 • Approved an environmental The agreement commits the study on a pulp and paper mill company to a plan of monitoring project to be built by Pentair Inc.' and cleaning .up ground water be- and Minnesota Power in Duluth. A lieved to be contaminated by PCA staff report said concerns dumps and spills at a Reilly wood- were expressed by the public about preserving plant, which is now possible dioxin contamination dosed. If approved by all tie agen- from the mill. But the report cies involved, the agreement would stated that "no potential for such end years of legal battles over contamination is believed to exist." cleanup efforts at the site. The companies must return to the Reilly will provide a system to PCA for various air and water per- purify water from two St Louis mits. Park city wells that were closed when the contamination was dis- • Approved the addition of 23 covered. The company will also new sites, including 14 sanitary pay a total of $3.7 million to feder- landfills where chemicals are leak- al, state and city agencies to cover ing into groundwater, to the state's past and future costs. priority list of hazardous waste In other action at its monthly sites. The list now contains 123 meeting, the board: cites slated for cleanup under the state superfund program. • Learned that the first criminal complaint the PCA has pursued against an industry for violating hazardous waste disposal laws re- Please see PCA/ 3D r\ e | i L 1 1 <_' u w i L 1 1 | j u r in L s s J u 1 1 Bound clipe KSJN FM / I 1 / 3 6 PCA STATION LENGTH SCRIPT F 123 TIME :30 P.M. More Lhan 15 years ago residents in Sc Louis Park I'D mid out mu r h i r y Eichton of their water was contaminated. Tests confirmed thai a suspected cancer causing pollutant had seeped into several water wells in the city. A local cresote plant was believed to be the source of the pollution but efforts to clean up the mess have dragged on and on . Until today. Today it was announced that a tenative agreement has been reached to clean up one of the most serious water pollution problems in the state. Dan Olson has our cover story report. Olson This 80 acre slice of land between Highway 7 and Minnetonka Boulevard in St Louis Park is mainly green space with athletic fields walkways and pond as haven for some ducks and geese. There are a few apartment buildings on the northern edge . Over 50 years ago between 1918 and 1972 a plane built on this site distilled coal tar and treated poles and railroad ties with cresote. Starting in 1969 and for the next 10 years repeated tests showed the prsence of polynuclear aeromatic hydrocarbons. A carcinogent in laboratory animals and an agent thought to cause cancer in human beings. The stage was set for a protracted legal battle. The announcement of a tenative agreement for a cleanup and payment of costs by K i 1 e y Tar and Chemical Corporation ' '• . came after 2 and a half years of negotiations. Tom Kali tow ski is executive director of the Minnesota Pollution Co mm I Ayency A 1 t h on nil it i -s n 111 vet f i n , i 1 wp ,i r r n m> one li u yc >! <• p ' I > > s i- i I <> r (_• s <> 1 v i n u 1.11 i s i i UN p I i> \ . i ii 11 I r u s I i .1 I i n •,; 111 ' • 11 I cm , i ii 11 i c > i 111 i u j; >> i FOR INFORMATION CALL (612) «4«- 1 935 3sound ,JL ., \ clips \ » CLIENT STATION ' KSJ.N' FM 4/11/86] SCRIPT TWE LENGTH F 123 4:30 P.M ouis Parks water supply. CA spokesmen escimaced the cotal cose Co Riley to be about 5 Olson nd three quarter million dollars. St Louis Park gets a million of that amount for future water service costs, the company has also paid for the constrction of a carbon filtration plant in St Louis Park which will purify water from some of the citys contaminated wells. About 1.7 million will be used to repay the federal governments super fund, money from the super fund was used to start the clean up process. And about one million will go to reimburse the Minnesota super fund. Money spent on invetigation and legal expenses. Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Humphrey the Third. lumphrey While we are being reimbursed for substantial state expenses the most important result is the resolution of the drinking water problem here in St Louis Park. The plan will also remove the threat of contamination spreading to water supplies in Hopkins Edina and other nearby communities. son Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Humphrey the Third. The extent of the contaminated well water caused by the Riley Tar and Chemical Company plant is not completely known . Water in 5 aquafers under St Louis Park appear to contain poly nuclear aeromatic hydrocarbons One of the aqunfers supplies water to neighboring Edina and Hopkins. The company has agreed to pay for a 30 year well monitor- ing plan that is designed to reveal problems that may not be e c v i il en l now. I' u in p i ii r, nl c on 11.1 m i na t oil wells in Si Lou is l\i r k will ~TTc tT.^L'll CLIENT STATION KSJN FM DATE A/11/86 SCRIPT F 123 TIME 4:30 P.M. LENGTH citizens who believe they have been harmed from sueing. Sally Ison is a St Louis Park resident a state lawmaker and an 11 orney. Olson I think its important for people to realize that this is a leanup agreement, the issues of whether or not people who have eceived personal injury is still an open question, Olson ny citizens suits that you have heard of. Olson In this regard none to date. On the other hand one has to ealize that when we are dealing with cancer carcinognets and ;o forth that this is long term in terms of manifistation. Olson sally Olson . Riley Tar and Chemical Company Vice President and jeneral counsel Robert Pollick said the Indianapolis based :ompany agreed to the proposed settlement as a way of limiting Its future costs. Rollick And we think in this instance the cost of continuing to litigate :osts both to Riley ar.d to the other parties would be substantial and that therefore it is far better if you can come to an agreement with all the other parties to settle a lawsuit and thats what we have done. 01 son Robert Pollick. If all the parties involved Riley Tar and Chemical Company, St Louis Park, the State of Minnesota, the federal government and the courts among others approve the ?nc it could solve one of the stotcs most serious contaminated drinking water probJcms. Kiley Tar and Chemicals M'oposal that il i);iv ilic costs helps lhi' s t ;i l c move on other eound DATE STATION KSJN FM LENGTH A/11/86 123 TIME 4:30 P.M roblems. Tom Kalitowski. The PCA has 99 other waste sites on its list of cleanup priorities sooi o be 122 more waste sites but clearly there is no other project o which we have devoted more time or more energy. In Minnesota e have been very successful in negotiating private party ettlements so that government funds can be preserved for use at ites where no responsible party is known or is able to undertake he cleanup. More than a third of the sites in this state are eing cleaned up by private parties under the supervision of the PCA. om Kalatowski executive director of the Minnesota Pollution ontrol Agency. It will be June before it is known if the_ roposed settlement with Riley Tar and Chemical Company is pproved by all parties. This is Dan Olson reporting. FOR INFORMATION CALL («11) S 4 • - 1 • » « DATE PCA STATION WCCO AM SCRIPT TIME LENGTH 10:30 PM. Steve Murph Officials today announced a cenative agreement to cleanu, toxic waste dump classified as one of the worst in the st The agreement follows an 8 year legal battle in St Louis . where toxic wastes from the old Riley Tar and Chemical Coir, seeped into ground water. 6 wells in St Louis Park and o'h'e"1 Hopkins were contaminated. Paul Hoff of the Minnesota Pollu Control Agency gave the details. Under the agreement announced today Riley has agreed to take Hoff responsiblity for the pollution at.the site and they will pa: about two and a half million dollars toward these corrective actions there, they are going to clean up the contaminated ground water at the site to prevent its furhter spread, they are going to construct a filtration plant so that two of the cities wells can be purified and turned on again- and they are going to monitor the wells for the next 30 years to test the effectiveness of their cleanup and take additional action if n necessary. On top of that Riley will be paying about 3 and thre quarter million dollars to the state, city and federal governme for past expenses and some future costs. Hoff says the new filtration system should be on line by the rphy middle of June. IMFONUATIOM «4«-1*afl eound CLIENT PCA STATION DATE WCC 4/11/86 SCRIPT TIME ° LENGTH A 131 5:00 P.M 1:41 .ck Chapman It was classified as one of the worst toxic waste d dumps in Minnesota and today officials announced a tenative settlement on a cleanup. The agreement follows an 8 year legal battle involving the old Riley Tar and Chemical Company in St Louis Park where toxic wastes seeped into ground water contaminating 6 wells in St Louis Park and one in Hopkins.»Pauil, Hoff of the Mineosta Pollution Control Agnecy provides details of the settlement. Under the tenative agreement announced today Riley has agreed Hoff to take responsibility for the pollution of the site and they will pay about 2 and a half million dollars toward these corrective actions there they are going to clean up the contaminated ground water at the site to prevent its further spread, they are going to construct a filtration plant so 2 of the cities wells can be purified and turned on again'and they are going to monitor the wells for the nex t 30 years to test the effectiveness of their clean up and take additional action if necessary . On top of that Riley will be paying about 3 and three quarter million, dollars to the state, city and federal governments for past expenses and some future costs. Hoff says the new filtration system should be on line by the a pman middle of June. FON INFORMATION CALL (€11) I46-1VS6 eound clips CLIENT STATION DATE .PCA ST 4/U/86 TIME " " " LENGTH SCRIPT 6:00 P.M :19 :an Turner After years of negotiations a federal lawsuit against Rile Tar and Chemical Corporation for contaminating St Louis Parks water supply is finally coming to an end. St Louis Park Mayor Lyle Hanks says the company has agreed to spend some 2 and a half million dollars to restore 2 contaminated wells and cleanup the ground water in the area. Riley Tar officials have also agreed to monitor the water for at least the next 30 years. The wells have been closed since 1978 when traces of hydrocarbons were discovered in the water. The settlement is getting a full endorsement by the way from state Attorney General Skip Humphrey . The State Pollution Control Board must decide whether to approve that agreement. POM INFORMATION CALL («11) •40-1118 Bound clips PCA CLIENT STATION KMSP TV A/11/86 LENGTH SCRIPT D 919 TIME 9:30 P.M. 1:21 Harden 8 years of litigation has ended for a St Louis Park company accused of contaminating the citys water supply. 2 water wells in St Louis Park have been shut down for years because of suspected contamination by the Riley Tar and Chemical Company. Core samples taken"~from the soil showed coal tar contamination. Today the company agreed to spend more than 6 million dollars to state and federal agencies and to begin cleanup of the contaminated ground water The agreement was reached between Riley Company, the Pollution Control Agency the state Attorney General and several other state and city deparatments. It requires that cleanup performace standards be acahieved, that Humphrey regular monitoring be conducted to assure continued compliance and that the company remain responsible for removal measures for at least 30 years. Humphrey says he feels this settlement proves that strong environmental laws are working. POM INFORMATION CALL («11) S49-1V38 tr- Bound clips CLIENT STATION WCCO AM TIME LENGTH SCRIPT A 120 12:30 P.M A settlement has been reached in a major environmental cleanup Ray case in St Louis Park. Joining us now live is Paul Hoff of Christensen the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Paul tell us about todays announcement. Hoff Ray today we reached a tenative settlement in the 8 year legal battle over hazardou-s waste pollution at the old Riley Tar and Chemical Company site in St Louis Park. As you may - recall their coal tar and wood treatment wastes that were deposited out here over a 50 year period before Riley closed in 1972. And some of that waste seeped into the ground cont- aminating some drinking water wells in fact 6 St Louis Park wells and one Hopkins well had to be shu.t down. Now St Louis Park residents have been drinking clean water ever since that happened but it just hasnt been enough to meet fhe summer demand now under the tenative agreement announced today Riley has agreed to take responsibility for the pollution at the site and they will pay about 2 and a half million d'oliars toward these corrective actions there. 'They are going to clean up the contaminated ground water at the site, to prevent its further spread, they are going to construct a filtration plant so that two of the cities wells can be purified and turned on again and they are going to monitor the wells for the next 30 years to test the effectiveness of their cleanup and take additional action if necessary. On top of that Riley will be paying about 3 and three quarter million dollars POH INFORMATION CALL («1» 646-H38 sound CLIENT STATION WCCO AM SCRIPT TIME A 120 12:30 P.M to state city and federal governments for past expenses and some future costs. Paul any time table for some of these things you mentioned Christensen the plant and the other cleanup activities. Hoff Yes the filtration plant should be on line late this-.sqpTJ_n^ - perhaps by the middle of June and the other cleanup arrangements will take place and begin over the summer but its going to be a long process before this ever gets a really clean bill of health it will probably be and thats why we have Riley committed to a 30 year program of testing to make sure that indeed it is effective. * iristensen Thank you Paul Hoff .Paul Hoff of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. \ INFORMATION CALL (411) B4«-1t90 sound clips DATE CLIENT p STATION CA wcco A/11/86 TIME SCRIPT B 415 6; 00 P.M >n Shelby After years of litigation the Riley Tar and Chemical Compan; agreed today to clean up the polluted ground and water on its old site in St Louis Park. The agreement which still must be approved by the courts meaning clean drinking water could be found flowing from the old wells soon. Pat Kessler reports,.**—.-.»» c-. K e F -1 e r From 1918 until 1972 Riley Tar and Chemical made cresote here sometimes dumping waste on the ground. Except for wire fences you wouldnt know today this quiet park is that old site,, sitting over acres of tainted water that St Louis Park used to drink. After years of litigation the company and a host of government officials have reached a settlement. Le Hanks We are happy that they moved forward to get our water system cleaned up and consider it fair to move in that direction for our citizens. issler Riley has now agreed to purify the tainted water and increase the city water supply. It will control the spread of further contamination and invetigate filling in contaminated land. And it will pay nearly A million dollars to the federal,state and city governments for future expenses. om Ka1i to ski Tough hazardous waste clean up laws and regulations are a good investment in making sure this kind of environmental damage never happens again. essler The contamination from this site has troubled St Louis Park for a decade but the end is near, many of these wells will soon be u 111 LI iii v—again—a-rrd—ctre—b id l b!—ull 1 t n 2 u '<* I £ 1 pure ana OH INFORMATION CALL («1t) I43-1»aS clean. P*r Kv !.ti2^te at'.tl, if necessary, private and industrial i..-:'.... Uii;l may La pathways for moving from • Investigate contamination riL-:.r :iit- siu'face soath of the nr..!.-.- «IU? and fill areas to pro- r.U Moratory wcttrfowl. « T. u.:iLcr grtm.d'.vaLir for at ka.l iO yejirs to track contami- i..jT.i njoverjeat rtnd assess . In adJ.tion, Reilly will pay vil.72 million to the federal .^..•jiu/jj aiid $1 miUicn to the r»*iiaifso!a Sitperiund for in- vvisU^aa\e iuui 1^'al costs. Rsil- ly v/LJ ;I}EO eatablMi a $1 million fiuui for tJu; city to covar futu^ Ciffii Si. Lcuis Park will net be r^i-MJurx: J for po^t ejtpenses or 't-^rij tc its, vvhidi have added up •(/>**:u:vcr.^l lyiUiond^ILir:," City .1 1-i-i^er Jsjtxs Briincye- sa-d. "IV<: uivei- as!:isifcr post ccsts," V»t'.L feiOURCC 0« GROOltNT CCNTROl WfLL tiid, "Tte city of St vxii; Pi'rlt is concerned with i?ir.^ its v/ckr cleaned up." tLSap chews the area of contamination in tha Prairie du Chian- Jcntan equlter and the wells Uiat will bo used to monitor and provisions of the agrce- csnfrd Uta contamination. . Eient satisfy the objectives my 'office had in pursuing the "lawsuit," said Minnesota At- thereafter, St. Louis Park mov- commissioner of Minnesota ' tomey General Hubert H. Hum- ed to intervene in the federal suit Department of Health, and the phrey III. "While we are being and to consolidate claims MPCA Citizens Board. The reimbursed for substantial state already pending in state court. MPCA board will discuss the set- expenses, the most important The federal Superfund law was tlement Tuesday, April 22. result is the resolution of the adopted in December 1830 and It must also be approved by drinking water supply for St. Minnesota became the first state the EPA, Department of Justice, Louis Park. „ to invoke its liability provisions St. Louis Park and Hopkins city "The plan will remove the when the Minnesota attorney councils, the St. Louis Park threat of contamination general filed an amended com- Housing and Redeveloment spreading to to water supplies in plaintln May 1S81. Authority and two companies Hopkins, Edina and other near- Using federal Superfund with interest in the housing and by communities and it will pro- money, the MPCA investigated , commercial develoipments on tect our valuable groundwater old wells on the former Reilly the site. resources for public and in- site and with the bs&pd the U.S. The St. Louis Park City Coun- dustrial use by future genera- Geological Survey, gained a bet- cil will consider the agreement uons," he continued. "I believe ter understanding of tha extent Monday, April 21. It's a good settlement." and movement 01" the con- Once the agreement is signed Qyjrt action was started by tamination. and filed with the U.S. District ii-j? attorney general in 1978 in The proposed settlement must Court, there is a 30-day period iUte court. In 1520 the En- move through several steps for public comment before the vironmental Protection Agency before it becomes final. H must settlement becomes final. filed suit in Federal Court. Soon be approved by Humphrey, the a roves of settfememt •' I would like to congratulate all Hanks deserves special recogni- jrjarties, including the City of St. tion for his years of work on this jLouLs Park, Reilly Tar, the En- case. He has worked long and Vij-onmental Protection Ager.cy, hard to bring the city this far and the Minnesota Pollution along, and should be Control Agency, for their good congratulated. jdTorts in coming together to It is anticipated that there will hiake an agreement in this case. not be objections by the general j In my cursory review of-the citizenry in an upcoming public- (tentative settlement, it appears comment period. It is my hope tliat it is in the best interest of all that, following the comment (parties. I am especially pleased period, the Department of to note that the settlement calls Justice will be able to ex- for reimbursement of previously peditiously approve the expended Federal Superfund settlement. monies. Rep. BUI Frenzel St. Louis Park Mayor Lyle 3rd District asidents can heave a sigh of relief iJter so many years of being our city staff, as well as the commend the Minnesota Pollu- : ;he public eye, residents of St. work of present and' past tion Control Agency, the Minne- uis Park can heave a collec- members of the City Council. sota Department of Health, and •>•* sigh of relief as the end ap- Having been involved myself, I the U.S. Environmental Protec- ji-s war for the solution to our can attest to the serious negotia- tion Agency for their efforts on •..ier problems. tions that have been going on for behalf of St. Louis Park and /.he tentative pollution many years to accomplish the Hopkins. ,,nup agreement and scttle- vfinal agreement, thus avoiding Because the ' contaminated nt of Ute legal battle over the costly litigation. wells were closed, the safety of •IJy Tar and Chemical Corp. In addition to the efforts of our drinking water was always ;ardous-waste site will people at the local level, we can assured. However, some people ;tore the confidence of people be proud that federal and state who did not feel secure chose to xit the quality of our water, Superfund laws have been of buy bottled water. Now our j the city will have the finan- great assistance to our city. residents can be confident that J assistance to proceed with These strong laws provide the the quality and quantity of our water-treatment plant to en- . necessary protection for pro- water will be sufficient for our *? a sufficient water supply blems such as ours that have needs. our residents The assurance arisen. As state senator, I voted I applaud our city leaders for t water will be monitored for in favor of the state Superfund this good news! years should also be comfort - as well as authoring a Victim's Sen Phyllis McQuaid lo everyone. Compensation bill. I'm happy to St. Louis Park, Hopkins. Min- iuch cr«iit for what appears see the first-hand results of this ne tonka * a final solution must go to lepislauon lonp and tedious effons of 1 also believe that we should IO communities with potentially lethal cancer-causing hydrocarbons found in the creosote Closing wells in S; With a tentative agreement reached in the Louis Park and Hopkins underscored the severity of U .-onu-ovc-i-jial water-pollution case involving Reilly Tar pollution and focused attention on the problem and Chemical Corp. and the City of St. Louis Park, the However, the musde of superfund legislation was a value of superfund legislation becomes apparent. . essential element in producing an agreement, which v When the old Republic Creosote (a subsidiary of free St. Louis Park from the fear of running short of Reilly i began operating a coal-tar distillation plant in safe water and demonstrated to skeptics that govern- 1933, tiie idea of requiring companies to clean up their ment and business can work together to solve pollution was inconceivable. Too little was known about environmental problems »health risks from environmental contamination to jar public awareness. Tlial all changed, however, when environmental fjrotfcCtion came to the forefront of public debate in the Late li/'Xfc. It culminated in 1930 with the passage of the ioderal superfund Jaw. Minnesota's superfund law followed three years later. Basically, these laws require polluters to pay into the funds in order 1o finance clean up of the pollution. In the case of Reiily Tar, the company will pay $2.72 million to state and federal super-funds.-The money will be used to help pay for im- plementation of the cleanup agreement. Gone unchecked, the contamination to the Prairie du Giien aquifer could have affecr iny mor^ rban