REUSE ASSESSMENT FINAL St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar Site OCTOBER 2017 Duluth, Minnesota Introduction The St. Louis River in Duluth, Minnesota is an ecologically significant estuary and the backbone of Duluth’s industrial and transportation economies. Due to a legacy of industrial activity and historical contamination impacts, EPA and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) are overseeing cleanup efforts for parts of the St. Louis River and certain industrial areas known as the St. Louis River Superfund site. With the area recognized as one of EPA’s “Making a Visible Difference” communities, EPA is working with the City of Duluth and community partners to align a range of program investments across West Duluth’s riverfront and adjacent neighborhoods of Fairmount and Irving. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) and EPA Region 5 sponsored a reuse assessment in 2016 for the St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar site (SLRIDT site), a sub-area of the St. Louis River Superfund site. Figure 1. Context The SLRIDT site offers strategic opportunities to connect nearby neighborhoods to the river, leveraging reuse and redevelopment opportunities across Duluth’s 54th and 59th Avenue Peninsulas and Waseca Business Park. Building on recommendations from the September 2016 Figure 1. SLRIDT Study Area Context reuse assessment working session hosted by EPA and the City of Duluth, this document summarizes the SLRIDT site’s status, reuse opportunities, and development process considerations. West Duluth Revitalization Initiatives Through EPA’s Making a Visible Difference initiative Report Contents City of Duluth, community partners and EPA are p. 2-3 Site Background and Cleanup coordinating multiple planning efforts and agency investments including: p. 4-5 Land Use and Ownership p. 6-7 Reuse and Redevelopment Opportunities • St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar site Reuse Assessment p. 8 Redevelopment Process • Irving & Fairmount Brownfield Revitalization Plan • Smart Growth Implementation Assistance • Kingsbury Bay Health Impact Assessment OctoberFunded by 2017 the EPA Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Initiative 1 Site History Beginning in the late 1800s, industrial and port operations along the St. Louis River were established on Duluth’s 54th Site Remedy and 59th Avenue areas that became Soil and sediment cleanup status, remedy components and land use peninsulas from industrial filling. Former restrictions or institutional controls (ICs) are outlined below along industrial activities in this area included with maps on figures 2 and 3. coke production, coal tar refining and by-product recovery, coal gas production, and iron and steel processing. Soil Cleanup (Soil OU and Tar Seeps OU) Soil, bulk materials and various waste Soil contamination has been addressed throughout upland parts of products deposited in the river and in the site, including Areas of Concern A-F in Figure 2. certain upland areas resulted in coal tar • Soil cleanup levels have been established assuming continued and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons industrial use and industrial redevelopment. (PAHs) contamination of upland soil areas. These same materials also contaminated • Site areas C, D, F and Maurice’s Parking Lot have residual underwater sediments in the dock slips, subsurface soil contamination above the industrial use cleanup in the Stryker Bay, and in parts of the St. level at depths of 3-12 feet. Louis River channel. • Soil cleanup also includes Institutional Controls (ICs) that require site properties to have environmental restrictive covenants that limit allow only industrial use and soil disturbance without prior Cleanup Status + Timeline approval from MPCA. • In 1983, EPA placed the SLRIDT site • MPCA is working with potentially responsible parties to cleanup on the National Priorities List (NPL) up limited remaining coal tar contamination hotspots and as part of the larger St. Louis River related materials in Area E, Area B and the Radio Tower peninsula Superfund site. (western shore of Stryker Bay). • 1990-1994: Tar Seeps Operable Unit Record of Decision signed and Remedial Actions completed. Sediment Containment and Shoreline Restoration (Sediment OU) • 1995-2001: Soil Operable Unit Contaminated sediments in the slips, shoreline areas, Stryker Bay and Record of Decision signed and St. Louis River have been dredged, excavated and consolidated in Remedial Actions completed. underwater capped areas and containment cells. • 2004-2011: Sediment Operable Unit • The underwater sediment containment cell, located in Slip 6, and Record of Decision and Cleanup the contamination beneath remedial caps are shown in green completed. hatching. • The MPCA/State Superfund program is • Along Stryker Bay and 54th Avenue peninsula shoreline areas, overseeing the SLRIDT site’s cleanup. restored and newly planted habitat prevents erosion and disturbance of the sediment remedy. • Today, MPCA and responsible parties are working to address a few • A conservation easement is planned for a 22-acre habitat remaining cleanup actions in the near- restoration area on 54th Avenue peninsula; this area is currently term. owned by responsible party XIK. • A buffer along the 59th Avenue peninsula’s Stryker Bay shoreline allows for continued industrial use of adjacent upland areas but prevents disturbance of restored habitat and sediment caps. • Use restrictions for sediment and shoreline areas prohibit disturbance of sediment caps, limit deep draft vessel use and anchoring in Slips 6 and 7, and require management plans for riparian and conservation easement areas. 2 SLRIDT Site Reuse Assessment Key 1 St Front Soil Remedial Considerations Redruth St Former Tar Distillation Areas W Ave 56th S S 57th Ave W Ave 57th S S 58th Ave W Ave 58th S S 60th Ave W Ave 60th S Key W Ave 61st S - Areas A, E W Ave 59th S REMEDIALSt Front CONSIDERATIONS 1 Soil Remedial- Remediated Considerations under Tar Seeps, Soil Redruth St OUsFormer Tar Distillation Areas W Ave 56th S S 57th Ave W Ave 57th S S 58th Ave W Ave 58th S S 60th Ave W Ave 60th S - Industrial/limited commercial use W Ave 61st S VOC Area - Areas A, E W Ave 59th S - Remediated under Tar Seeps, Soil Lesure St FormerOUs Coke and Pig Iron Areas Waseca Industrial Rd - Areas B, C, D, F - Industrial/limited commercial use VOC Area - Soil OU Area B Residual Subsurface Soils Fremont St Lesure St Former Coke and Pig Iron Areas Waseca Industrial Rd - Contaminated- Areas B, C, D, soils F remain in W Ave 63rd S place 3’ to 12’ below ground Area E - Soil OU Area B - ResidualProtective Subsurface for construction Soils Fremont St workers Area D - Contaminated soils remain in W Ave 63rd S Area A - placePotential 3’ to soil 12’ managementbelow ground Area E requirements - Protective for construction Area D Other Featuresworkers Slip 6 Area A Area C - Potential soil management Slip 7 Studyrequirements Area Roads Area F Other Features Stryker Bay Slip 6 Front St Rail Lines Area C Slip 7 StreamsStudy Area StateRoads Border Stryker Bay Area F Rail Lines Front St 1Site Areas A-F and Residual Streams Subsurface Soil locations are based on State Border Dock 7 MPCA’s 2013 IC Study, Figures 2 and 4. Radio 59th Ave. Peninsula 54h Ave. Peninsula Tower 1Site Areas A-F and Residual Peninsula Subsurface Soil locations are based on MINNESOTA Dock 7 MPCA’s 2013 IC Study, Figures 2 and 4. Radio 59th Ave. Peninsula 54h Ave. Peninsula TowerWISCONSIN Feet Peninsula 0 500 1,000 ± Figure 2 Map Notes: Site areas A-F and residual MINNESOTA subsurface soil locations are based on the WISCONSIN Key Key Feet Key Soil OU Remedial Action Completion Report 0 500 1,000 ± Feet Front St Front St Front Front St Front and MPCA’s 2013 Institutional Controls Study, Sediment Remedial Considerations1 Sediment Remedial ConsiderationsSediment1 Remedial Considerations1 Redruth St Redruth St Redruth St 0 500 1,000 ± Figures 2 and 3. S 56th Ave W Ave 56th S W Ave 56th S Sediment Containment Sediment Containment Sediment Containment W Ave 56th S S 57th Ave W Ave 57th S W Ave 57th S S 58th Ave W Ave 58th S W Ave 58th S S 57th Ave W Ave 57th S S 58th Ave W Ave 58th S S 60th Ave W Ave 60th S W Ave 60th S S 60th Ave W Ave 60th S S 61st Ave W Ave 61st S W Ave 61st S - Underwater sediment - Underwater sediment - UnderwaterFormer sediment Tar DistillationW Ave 61st S Areas Former Coke and Pig Iron Areas S 59th Ave W Ave 59th S W Ave 59th S S 59th Ave W Ave 59th S Residual Subsurface Soils Key Feet containment containment containment (Soil Areas of Concern A-E) (Soil Areas of Concern A-E) (Areas with soil limitations) 0 500 1,000 Front St Front ± - Confined Aquatic Disposal Sediment- ConfinedRemedial Aquatic Considerations Disposal 1 - Confined Aquatic Disposal Facility (Slip 6) and sediment caps Facility (Slip 6) and sediment capsFacility Figure (Slip 6)Redruth 2. and Soil Stsediment OU Remedycaps Features and Considerations (Stryker Bay and Slip 7) Sediment(Stryker BayContainment and Slip 7) (StrykerVOC Area Bay andFormer Slip Tar7) Distillation Areas VOC FormerArea Coke andW Ave 56th S Pig Iron VOCAreas Area Residual Subsurface Soils S 57th Ave W Ave 57th S S 58th Ave W Ave 58th S S 60th Ave W Ave 60th S - Underwater sediment (Soil Areas ofW Ave 61st S Concern A-E) (Soil Areas of Concern A-E) (Areas with soil limitations) - Limitations prevent docking or - Limitations prevent docking or- Limitations prevent docking or W Ave 59th S containment Lesure St Lesure St Lesure St disturbance of underwater disturbance of underwater disturbance of underwater Waseca Industrial Rd Waseca Industrial Rd Waseca Industrial Rd sediments. - Confinedsediments. Aquatic Disposal sediments. Facility (Slip 6) and sediment caps Conservation/Riparian Easement (StrykerConservation/Riparian Bay and Slip 7) EasementConservation/RiparianArea Easement B VOC Area Area B Area B Fremont St Fremont St Fremont St - Planned conservation easement - Limitations- Planned conservation prevent docking easement or - Planned conservation easement S 63rd Ave W Ave 63rd S W Ave 63rd S S 63rd Ave W Ave 63rd S Lesure St for shoreline areas remediated disturbancefor shoreline of areasunderwater remediated for shoreline areas remediated Waseca Industrial Rd under Sediment OU.