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5.4. SR 11-13-2007ITEM # 5.4. .ver MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Terry Maurer, Public Works Director ,~{~ DATE: November 13, 2007 SUBJECT: Black Dirt Policy Lori Johnson, City Administrator, was planning to prepare a memo summarizing the city staff position on the requested Elk River Municipal Utilities black dirt policy, but in hex need to be out of the office this week, I have been asked to prepare this memo. Prior to doing so, I have consulted with Lori Johnson and other department/division heads within the City Hall regarding this issue. City staff is fully in support of the Municipal Utilities' efforts to reduce water consumption through various methods. If the City Council agrees with the proposed black dirt policy, city staff would recommend that the Municipal Utilities prepare a written policy that can be distributed with every building permit, explaining what is required and how it will be inspected to determine compliance with the policy. We would then recommend that an additional black dirt inspection be put into PermitWorks fox every building permit. We would recommend that Bryan Adams ox his representative be responsible fox performing the black dirt inspection to determine appropriate compliance with the policy. Once compliance is achieved, the Utilities have access to PermitWorks and can check that inspection as passed. The city building official will review all inspections prior to issuing a certificate of occupancy. This is very similar to how water services and water meter installations are handled currently. City staff members have been discussing this issue with Bryan for 6 -8 months. City staff does have a number of concerns relative to how much a policy like this will actually reduce water consumption, what will be the actual cost to the end user for this type of policy, and how difficult will it be to implement. The specific questions raised by city staff to Bryan Adams are included in a memo from Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager to Bryan Adams dated Apxi126, 2007, a copy of which is attached. Should you have any questions of city staff relative to this policy, I will be in attendance at your Tuesday workshop. S:\PUBLIC WORKS\2007 CC memos\11 07 07 Black Dirt Policy.doc Memo To: Bryan Adams, Municipal Utilities Superintendent From: Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager CC: Terry Maurer, Scott Clark, Rebecca Haug, Bob Ruprecht, Sheila. Cartney Date: April 26, 2007 Re: Proposed dirt ordinance Thank you for allowing Community Development and Engineering staff to comment on the proposed minimum top soil "Dirt" ordinance being contemplated by the Utilities Commission and Staff. We met on Tuesday, April 24 and have some comments regarding the potential ordinance. These comments include: L It appears the intent is a reduction of water usage. How much reduction is anticipated? Is there independent, supporting information available for review? 2. Are there other options available that reduce water usage as effectively? Water rates, education, enforced water/ sprinkling restrictions, native grasses, etc. 3. How effective will this ordinance be when the majority of the `urban' area has been built out and or platted? 4. There is some concern that this proposed ordinance penalizes a majority for the few (those that water their lawns). 5. What is the difference between black dirt and top soil? 6. Wliat is the anticipated cost for the homeowner? What is the savings? As part of street construction projects, the City imports black dirt (top soil), because it is not found in the City, increasing the cost. 7. Who puts the soil on, and when? Developer at Final Plat or the Builder at CO, homeowner? 8. Enforcement, who does it? 9. The City was required to obtain a NPDES permit in 2003 and part of that permit is to reduce the amount of run-off in to the storm sewer system. It also requires us to infiltrate more and achieve the 1988 infiltration rates for the City. Would this reduce the amount of infiltration and increase the amount of run-off? 1 10. How will adding 4-6 inches of soil affect the approved grading plans? 11. How would the wide variety of soils and lots types, sandy and clay soils, small lots and rural lots be dealt with? Again, thank you for allowing us to comment on your proposed ordinance. We do have some concern with the effectiveness of such an ordinance, and wonder if other options should be explored before entering into an ordinance situation. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. • Page 2 REQUEST FOR ACTION To Item Number Ci Council Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Worksession November 13, 2007 Bryan Adams, Elk River Utilities General Mana er Item Description Reviewed by Black Dirt Ordinance Reviewed by Action .Requested Elk River Municipal Utilities recommends City Councils direct staff to develop a black dirt ordinance to foster water conservation that contains the following principals: 1) 4 inches of black dirt shall be tilled into the top approximate 8" of existing soil. 2) 4 inches of black dirt shall have the approximate following make-up by volume Sand - 61 Clay - 12% Silt - 12% Organic - 15% 3) Areas that naturally contain this approximate soil make-up shall be classified as meeting the black dirt policy. 4) Inspection as part of the certificate of occupancy process by building inspections. Background/Discussion As Elk River continues to grow, so does the demand fox water. The attached Chart #1 reflects Elk River's past and future growth trends on a daily and annual basis. Our past annual growth trend has been in the 7% range, or a new water production facility every three years. We currently have seven water production facilities with the eighth under construction in Twin Lakes Estates. All of our facilities utilize the Mt. Simon Hinkley aquifer. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently increased our ground water appropriation to 1.6 billion gallons per year and five additional wells. This increase should satisfy our growth needs for the next ten years. This increase in water appropriations is also contingent on continuing our water conservation efforts, which is the subject of this memo. Chart #2 reflects the maximum daily and monthly water pumpage for years 2006 and 2007. Elk River's domestic water need is in the 38 million gallons per month range or 1.26 million gallons per day. This is approximately what the waste water plant processes daily. In the non winter months, water demand drastically increases to 160 million gallons per month or 7 million gallons per day. This increase is due to lawn irrigation. On an annual basis, lawn irrigation accounts for approximately 45% of our water use. Is this a good use of a limited resource? The attached two articles from the September 16, 2007 Star Tribune titled "Battling Tainted Water" and "The Pollution That Lies Beneath" very accurately explain the water situation in the metro area. Elk River uses the Mt. Simon Hinkley aquifer as a sole source water supply. As other metro communities C:\Documents and Settings\jmillex\Local Settings\Tempoxary Internet Files\OLK3E\Black Dixt Action Requested.doc seek a better water supply, the Mt. Simon Hinkley aquifer will receive more withdraws in the future and has the potential to affect us. The DNR requires us to implement water conservation programs. We have a social obligation to use our natural resources wisely. As we are experiencing global warming, the change in weather patterns will increase the demand for water. Being Energy City also obligates us to promote conservation and make wise use of a limited resource. We are proposing a black dirt policy with the urging of the DNR as a strategy to reduce irrigation needs. Tilling black dirt into the native soil will help retain moisture longer in the grass root area, thus reducing irrigation needs from 10% to 25%. This also has the benefit of reducing soil compaction thus minimizing run off. This strategy is particularly effective in sandy soil which is prevalent in the Elk River area. The following communities have implemented a black dirt policy: Otsego -developers must use 6" of black dirt where the ground is sandy. Rogers - 4" black dirt. Much of Rogers is heavy clay. They will be annexing additional areas with sandy soil. St. Michael/Albertville - 2" black dirt policy is under consideration. DNR is encouraging them to adopt a policy. Big Lake -requires 4" of black dirt for seeded lawns and 2" of black dirt under sodded areas. Becker -requires 3" of black dirt by homeowner, not developer. Ramsey - no requirements. Monticello -requires 4" of black dirt. Andover -requires 4" of black dirt. Winter construction developer puts money in escrow. Zimmerman -requires 4" of black dirt. St. Francis - 2" of black dirt. Brooklyn Park -requires 4" of black dirt. Blaine -requires 4" of black dirt. Maple Grove -requires 4" of black dirt. Stillwater -requires 4" of black dirt in boulevards only. Northfield -requires 4" of black dirt. Buffalo - 4" top soil. Princeton - 4" top soil. Coon Rapids - 2" top soil. In the above cities we surveyed, generally the city building inspection department does the inspection and enforcement. Escrow payment is made to insure compliance. It is also interesting to note that many of the above referenced cities include a landscaping ordinance specifying number and size of trees and shrubs for residential lots. Financial Impact This will cost the new home owner approximately $3,000 for an average city lot and may be difficult to enforce. Some communities have experienced lawns not being installed due to the added cost. Attachments ^ Chart #1 -Post and future growth trends. ^ Chart #2 - 2006 & 2007 peak day and monthly water pumpage. ^ September 16, 2007 Star Tribune Articles. C:\Documents and Settings\jmiller\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK3E\Black Dirt Action Requested.doc Action Motion by Second by Vote Follow Up C:\Documents and Settings\jmillex\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK31/\Black Dirt Action Requested.doc Sheet2 Chart #1 Elk River Municipal Utilities Peak Day Pumpage 25000 __ _ _-- _._._______._.~.____.~~T.__.__.._-___ _______.___.~~ ___ -- Current DNR Maximum 20000 - ----- Daily Pumping Level ~ 0 °c 15000 - --- c Well Capacity °~ 10000 -- - Maximum c~ ~. -- Minimum ~ 5000 - ----- ----- - -- __ -- - a. ~ - ~ Probable 0 ~ ~ h ~ ~ ~ ~ h 1 ~ ~~ ~3 ~h ~~ Year This graph reflects the peak day system usages the water production facilities must satisfy. Growth of the peak day demand dictates when additional water wells, filter plants,and water towers must be added to the system. Pumpage projections in the above graph are a function of both weather and growth. Elk River Municipal Utilities Annual Water Production ~~ ~ lsoo - ~~ - o Current DNR Annual Withdra ~~`` _ Limit is 1,600,000,000 Gal. Minimum 1000 _ __ --; Probable 500 - ____ 0- ~ 3 h 1 ~ ~ 3 ~ 1 ~ ~~ ~3 ~h ~1 '~°'~ '~°~~ '~~~ '~°'~ '~~~ `L~~ `l~O `L~~ `1,~~ `LSO `L~ `V~ `l,~ `~~ Year ElecWaterProj1 Page 1 Chart #2 Elk River Municipal Utilities Monthly Water Pumpage 180 a._ ~_..._. 160 ~ ~ ~ ~ C7 140 ~~ ~ = i 0 120 ._ ~~ ~ a ~ 100 c 2007 i~ ~~ ~ 80 ~~~ Irrigation Nees ~~` 2006 a ~ - ~~ ~ 40 a 20 - - 0 c~ ~ O Month Elk River Municipal Utilities Peak Day Pumpage s _ Peak Day Establishes ' 7 caty Trr ~~ Water Production Facilities ~a ~ 6 ~ ~ ~~ ` t c ~ ~ o 5 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ` ~ `~' ~ = 'a 4 Irrigation Needs ` ~ ~ 2 (10 _ ~----. 0 3 - - • ~ ` ~ ® ~~`~ ~ ~ 2006 ~ --- omes is ee s ----~ Q , ~ ~a c1 ~r ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ J5'` ~~ PQ ~ ~~ ~ ao, `J~ ~~~ .opt ~~t .o~` ~o ~ ~ ~ ,~~ ~ P F~~ oG ~Q~~ ~~~ o,~ g ~ O Month Sunday: Battling tainted water Page 1 of 7 StalrTri bun~acc~rn , r~~1~rNIJ~p~L.ls - s~. ~.~c~L, M~IE~~T Sunday: Battling tainted water Across the metro, industrial chemicals have seeped into groundwater we drink. It's a stubborn, costly problem that will take decades to fix. By David_Shaffer, Star Tribune Last update: September 17, 2007 - 7:05 AM Groundwater contaminated with industrial chemicals lurks under vast portions of the Twin Cities metropolitan area even though more than $200 million has been. spent over two decades to combat the problem. The contamination, a legacy of once-prevalent industrial dumping, persists beneath communities from Edina to New Brighton to Woodbury. In Washington County, the spread of underground pollution is turning out to be worse than anyone thought. A Star Tribune examination of groundwater monitoring reports, maps and other records has identified 20 significant plumes of contaminated groundwater underlying parts of 35 metro communities. If added together, the polluted zones would equal an area 2'/~ times the size of Minneapolis. No illnesses have been directly linked to the pollutants, but the contamination can pose long-term risks to health. And parts of the metro area will be stuck trying to clean up the chemicals for decades, often at taxpayers' expense. Already 150,000 people served by six suburban utilities drink water that must be specially treated to remove chemicals that leached underground. Two more suburbs with 37,000 people are likely to get such filtration soon. The discovery of something unwelcome in the water is crashing into the lives of more families like Kim Lindholm's of Lake Elmo. In May, her telephone answering machine blurted out a warning from the state Health Department: "Do not drink your water. Do not cook with your water:..." The family's well had tested positive for a substance that likely escaped from a nearby landfill. "That freaked me out," recalled Lindholm, who has two young boys. More than 1,000 private wells in Washington County contain pollutants from old dumps and industries. Many residents, including the Lindholms, have turned to whole-house filtration units for protection. Maps issued by the state Health Department in July show low levels of the 3M chemical PFBA in groundwater beneath 99 square miles of Washington County, a quarter of its land mass. In a third of that area, levels of the chemical once used for coating photographic film exceed what the state advises for drinking water. http://www.startribune.com/10237/v-print/story/1421645.html 9/21 /2007 Sunday: Battling tainted water Page 2 of 7 Other industries have left a taint elsewhere in the region, creating plumes of contaminated groundwater up to 9 square miles, some containing cancer-causing chemicals. Often the cleanups seem endless. At 15 locations in the metro area, special wells have been extracting and filtering out pollutants from groundwater for up to 39 years. In other places, regulators hope soil bacteria will render chemicals harmless in the future. One plume of pollution beneath St. Louis Park probably won't be flushed clean for a century or longer. "It is almost like when you throw dye into a jar of water," said Michael Convery, a supervisor in the Health Department's well management section. "It is hard to get it back again. It just spreads out." Suburbs bear the brunt When Jim Altier built a house outside Bayport, Minn., more than three decades ago, he and his family could look across farm fields and see the IDS Tower in Minneapolis. Trees have matured to block the view, surrounding his house with a canopy of green. He not only escaped the city, he no longer can see it from the back porch. But there's a crack in this idyllic picture: Altier's well is polluted with an industrial solvent. So are about 260 other nearby wells. He now has an activated-carbon filter, like many other Baytown Township residents, though for at least 14 years he and his family drank tainted water. "I had mixed feelings about it," said Altier, a retired Air National Guard mechanic who worked around solvents in his job. "... I feel better that the filter system is in there." He still wonders if the chemical, known as TCE, affected his first wife, Teddie, who died of leukemia in 1997. State health officials have reported no cancer clusters in Washington County, but Altier said he is not sure he believes it. More than 1.8 million metro residents get tap water from the ground. Suburbs have a disproportionate share of the metro area's major groundwater chemical plumes-, most of them created when the land was an open space. "They were places that people thought were good places to bury stuff or dump stuff," said Michael Kanner, who heads the state Superfund program for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. "Some of the industries needed more land.... It was easier to move outside the city." To be sure, many places have groundwater pollution. Cities struggle to clean up so- called brownfields for redevelopment. In rural and some suburban areas, nitrates from fertilizer and other sources often contaminate wells, putting infants at risk. Lug.//______. _a_~a___L_____ _____/1 n~~~/ / /~ .n, ~.~ , . .. .... ~.. .. .... Sunday: Battling tainted water Page 3 of 7 The Star Tribune found that of the 20 significant pollution plumes in the metro area, 17 are in suburbs. The list is based on interviews with regulators and public health officials and a review of state cleanup and monitoring records and data. The list includes large areas of pollution -- 10 are greater than 1 square mile -- and smaller plumes with notable risks. Chemicals with abbreviations BTEX, PAHs, TCE and PCP seeped into the ground at rural dumps, industrial plants, refineries, wood-treatment operations and arms plants. Some sites had extensive cleanups, but groundwater still is contaminated. State Pollution Control Commissioner Brad Moore said cleaning up groundwater is a long-term commitment, "and we have to be vigilant to ensure the resources are there in 10, 20, 30 years from now." The plumes includes a narrow, mile-long slug of dry-cleaning chemicals beneath Farmington that is drifting toward the Vermillion River, one of the last surviving trout streams in the metro area. Recently drilled monitoring wells show that no pollution has reached the river yet. In Edina, officials discovered in 2002 that one city well contained low levels of vinyl chloride, acancer-causing chemical formed by the breakdown of other compounds. The city shut down the welt, and plans to drill a new one elsewhere. The estimated replacement cost is $800,000. Groundwater-dependent cities St. Louis Park, Blaine and Bayport require special treatment of their drinking water to remove chemicals dumped long ago. Cottage Grove and St. Paul Park could be the next cities needing such water purification plants; the 3M coating compound PFBA has been detected in those cities' wells. At a U.S. Navy munitions plant in Fridley, groundwater containing a degreasing compound called TCE has been pumped out of wells on the bank of the Mississippi River for nearly two decades. Otherwise, TCE likely would enter the river --just above the Minneapolis water supply intake. Old dumping, back to haunt One of the largest groundwater problems is the 7-mile-long blob containing solvents from the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills that has spread to northeast Minneapolis and the Mississippi River. At its widest point, the plume is 1'/2 miles across. The U.S. Army and civilian contractors dumped chemical wastes at the plant from the 1940s on. The pollution seeped into adrinking-water aquifer, and years later- reached municipal wells in New Brighton, where it was discovered in 1981. For 17 years, giant carbon filters have purified the contaminated water for New Brighton's water system, removing enough solvents to fill an estimated 2955-gallon barrels, according to the Army. Ten times that amount has been extracted from groundwater and http://www.startrihune.com/10237/v-print/story/1421645.htm1 9/21/2007 Sunday: Battling tainted water treated on the site. Page 4 of 7 " "What is being drawn out of the wells now probably was dumped in the 1950s and later," said Mike Fix, director of the Army installation. The plant last produced ammunition in 1975. The filtered water is considered safe to drink, and all the pumping helps shrink the underground plume. Levels of TCE have dropped. Even so, TCE levels last year. in one well were 600 times higher than the federal standard. So far,. the Army has spent $186 million cleaning up pollution from the plant, more than half of that to deal with chemicals in groundwater, Fix said. The work probably won't be finished for another 20 to 40 years. In Woodbury, 3M has mounted a continuous battle since 1968 against groundwater pollution at one of its old dumps. The company operates four wells that act like giant wet-vacs at the dump. For almost 40 years, they've sucked out enough groundwater to fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools -- every day. The system is supposed to halt the chemicals' underground movement. The. extracted water is piped to 3M's plant in Cottage Grove, where some is used in production. It eventually ends up in the Mississippi River. Regulators long believed such systems were slowly remedying the groundwater problem near the Woodbury site and two other disposal areas used by 3M in Washington County in the late 1950s and early 1970s. That optimism has faded since 2004, when state officials began testing residential wells for 3M's perfluorochemicals, once used for nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, fire-suppression foams and film coatings. PFCs have been found in drinking water wells near the disposal sites, raising the question: Did the chemicals slip past the pump-out wells? "It's soluble, it gets into the water and it goes," said Douglas Wetzstein, Superfund unit supervisor for the state Pollution Control Agency, which is still investigating how PFCs spread. "... We don't have all the answers, and the thing about PFCs is that every week or month that comes along, there seems to be some other angle that needs to be investigated." One possibility is that PFCs escaped into Washington County's groundwater before any cleanup efforts began. 3M, the Maplewood-based manufacturer of Scotchgard, Post-It notes and thousands of other products, says it phased out PFCs by 2002 because the chemicals don't break down and had been detected in people and animals around the world. High concentrations of some PFCs have caused liver, thyroid and developmental damage in Lu~. //_______ _a___a_C1___._ _ _ _ i, nn~~ i i i, .... ~ .. . , .. ~... ~.. .. ., ~, Sunday: Battling tainted water Page 5 of 7 animals. One compound, PFOA, likely causes cancer, a federal scientific panel said last year. In May, the company signed a new agreement with state regulators to investigate and to remedy the problems. It also has alerted 3M stockholders that another $121 million will be needed to deal with PFCs in Minnesota and at a plant in Alabama. Paying the price, for years At the Pine Bend oil refinery in Rosemount, pollution has trickled underground for years -- straight toward the Mississippi River 1'/2 miles a way. After paying a record $6.9 million fine in 1998 for water and air pollution violations, the refinery owner Flint Hills Resources says it is working harder to prevent spills and leaks, and has spent $30 million cleaning up the old ones. So far about 4.1 million gallons of product have been sucked out of the ground, -using various methods. That's enough to fill nearly 500 tanker trucks.. The waste is treated, incinerated or refined on site. Workers periodically recover petroleum from a trench near the river, said John Hofland, a company spokesman. Some of the cleanup will go on another 10 years or more, he added. Even low concentrations of pollution are worrisome -- and expensive. In Oakdale, 3M last year paid $3 million to build acarbon-filtration plant that removes the chemical PFOA. The new plant is expected to cost $350,000 a year to operate. The level of PFOA in the groundwater entering the plant is about 1 part per billion, slightly above the state drinking water limit. The chemical is undetectable after filtration. Each year, the city supplies 1 billion gallons of water to customers. The net result: Filters will remove about a gallon of PFOA each year. "That's the amount somebody threw in the ground years ago," said city public works director Brian Bachmeier. At Jax Cafe in northeast Minneapolis, trout still swim in an artificial stream that runs through its back patio. For years, kids could net them for the cook to prepare and serve. Not anymore. The state Health Department says a private well feeding the stream contains low levels of PCP, a preservative once used to treat railroad ties at the Shoreham railroad yard, a mile to the north. Escaped chemicals left a 100-block plume of groundwater pollution. http://www.startribune.com/10237/v-print/story/1421645.htm1 9/21/2007 Sunday: Battling tainted water i Page 6 of 7 No wells in the area are used for drinking water, including Jax Cafe's. Even if people ate trout from the artificial stream, the risk would be minimal, the Health Department says. Still, the 74-year-old bar and restaurant no longer serves them. "It's costing us double," said owner Bill Kozlak Jr., who purchases other trout for eating. He is considering options including a new well or switching to city water, which already supplies the restaurant's faucets. Jax Cafe's problem is emblematic of the burden of groundwater pollution. Low levels of chemicals in water rarely make people acutely sick. Yet across the metro area, the pollution carries a cost to cities, businesses and homeowners who have abandoned wells, drilled new ones, added expensive filters or switched to a municipal water source to avoid the long-term risks of chemical pollution. In the ground, out of sight Nobody sees or touches pollution at Louisiana Oaks Park in St. Louis Park. It has a pond, trails, playground equipment and soccer and football fields. Almost forgotten is that from 1917 to 1972, Reilly Tar & Chemical Co. polluted the ground with chemicals used to treat railroad ties. The site eventually got cleaned up in the 1980s and 1990s under the federal Superfund program. If you dig in the park, you'd soon hit creosote. It extends hundreds of feet below the surface. Engineers didn't try removing it all. The cost was estimated at more than $100 million in 1980, and the tar probably would have clung to the deepest crevices anyway. "There wasn't anything you were going to do to make the site clean from top to bottom," said William Gregg, senior program manager for the environmental consulting and engineering firm ENSR in St. Louis Park. He has overseen the cleanup since 1980. The groundwater is polluted for nearly 4 square miles with tar-related chemicals called PAHs, some of which are carcinogens and none of which easily degrade. For two decades, high-capacity wells around the park have sucked out enough groundwater to halt the plume's progress into Edina's drinking water wells. Most of the pumped-out water is purified, using carbon filtration, and supplies St. Louis Park residents with drinking water. Reilly spent about $20 million in legal fees, engineering work and cleanup in the 1980s, Gregg said. The company doesn't have to pay the $500,000 annual cost of monitoring and treating the groundwater pollution. The city accepted that responsibility under a 1972 agreement with Reilly. "I think there was a miscalculation by the administration and the politicians at that time," said Scott Anderson, who became superintendent of utilities after the agreement. Pumping, treating and testing the groundwater likely will be necessary for decades. L,*+„.//...........r.,«t«:1..........l...../1!1'1 ^f ^7/_. ~_---`/-`- - /i e~iiec i i ,Sunday: Battling tainted water Page 7 of 7 "I do not believe I will live to see the end of it," Anderson said. "There is no projected time on it.... I would say we don't see the light at the end of the tunnel." Graphic artist Billy Steve Clayton contributed GIS mapping and analysis for this report. David Shaffer • 612-673-7090 David Shaffer • dshaffer~a startnbune,.c_om © 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. http://www.startribune.com/ 1023 7/v-print/story/ 1421645.html 9/21 /2007 ~~ 1C'aS ~~ (~`r'O, 7 y~ ~t~ T~~~•~• • SOURCES OF POLLUTION SPREAD OF POLLU'TIO?V ~, ,~~w of ~1~~,~ ~l lAl l W V 1 Although industries and landfills today generally [f rain or surface ,water comes into P do a better job keeping chemical wastes out of contact with contaminated soff, Pnllutier= -- aS ~~ the groundwater, buried pollution from decades ago pollution can see into the ro :e Y t i~ hard t®get ~~t p g und- sourze can linger anal spread. It is far harder to detect than water. Liquid hazardous substances also surface water ollution. ~ .4 p can soak through the soil or rock into Plume ~~> AQUIFERS UNDER TFIE .METRO AREA _ ••••••-•• .the groundwater. Some pollutants do widens An aquifer is a layer of porous, not mix with the groundwater but pool a_s i# permeable rock saturated with water. Rock, gravel, sand --~I~~ i ', within the soil or bedrock, and can act as flov~rs Aquifers are replenished by surface :----• and soil deposited + ~ long-teen sources of contamination. water, but the process is slow, as is the ~ during the last ice age "`~.,-~ water movement through them. ~~~~''`' - _ The most heavily used aquifer in the ~ ~ "` Twin Cities area is the Prairie du Chien- ~~i`----.~ ~° ~ ~ _ Jordan. It consists mostly of sandy ~'`'~ ~ "" ~~`~~~ ~~ ~"----~-.. ` " " -, ... ,~;"` Dump site r ;' dolostone and Jordan sandstone at •-•••-•••• •- ~ AQUIFER ~`"--.~_ ;• depths of 100 to 400 feet. Other 1 FORMATION ~'~`~- _ ~ ~ - j _~- agiufers,typically separated by less- - -- _ _ ~ Remediation Private ar ,•.~ permeable layers, are the shallower • ~ ~- ~ well ~ municipal ,; ~ --.<„ jf' `-~-~- well `•~ Lake ~xr St. Peter Sandstone and the deeper ~ ~ -.,. :. - ~ ~ i0 ' • I ~`~--~.~ /r xiri+L-'" Franconia-Ironton-Galesville and the ~-•-• Less-porous ` '``-` _ -A I -~-.- = 0 ~'~~ d. Mount Simon-Hinckley, rock formation •-- Flowr of ~~ ~'"`- _ Note: Not to scale. Source: EPA; Star Tribune rese~ucli Star Tribune graphic by °illy Steve Clayton ~~ . ~ 7 groundwater _ _ ~ Nom."a ,--~ -- ~ .,' CLEANUP TECHNIQUES ~ - ~-.~~ "_ ~~ ~ ~ ~~°`~-~-_ ~ ~ ~ ~/ -~- ~ -~~ - ~~ ~,~ .:-..c , The first step is finding the source of pollution, often a dump, ••••-••••••-••••••••-••••--•••---•-•----•...••.-.. • ~- ' and removing chemicals and soil. From well sampling, hydro- ~'' `~ ,t ~~ ~'~ logrsts can tell if a pollution plume has spread in groundwater. ' `- ~` ''~~ Sometimes polluted groundwater is pumped out, treated to remove USING THE WATER -°•---•---•-•••--•••----•••--• ~ ' the contamination and then put back in the ground or surface water. Water supply managers look for well locations not affected by If contaminants are released slowly, large amounts of groundwater -•-' plumes of pollution If pollution is discovered in a drip..king need to be pumped to remove a small amount of contamination. water well, it often is abandoned. The water can be purified using Groundwater p:llutimn ~ar-~ Sometimes groundwater contamination is contained so that bacteria granular activated carbon filters or other methods. In-home filters can seep into, and Bonze#irree:s p~,~. in the soil can break it down. handle all the water used in a residence. under, Lakes and ri~rers i. #~~Q`~'~e~t G1ea~L~U a star trib an sn i 1 report 3- THE POLLUTION THAT LIES BENEATH ockets of chemical-laden water percolate beneath the metro area. ~ slarne ~' These 20 lumes of ollution are the le ac of decades of industrial ~ ' xugo P P g Y `~~~4 IJnu Ickes Maple Grove ' (EastBetl,el 4 waste disposal by private companies and goverrunent. Some com- ~ off ire map) ~, ~ i ~iShorev~ew munities now use special filtration for every drop~of drinking water. ~ , Brooklyn Park ~ North Oaks , ~~. ~ ~ (tJttiEe y ~ ArdF~n, ~ Bear £r1INA Pbfi1M~ ~~~ r••••~ Fndlf HOW THE PLUMES ~ ' ~ a, -. I3ilis ;~~ Twp: Brant Location: Edina, Hopkins, St. Louis Park WERE IDENTIFIED ~ ~-S ~~ Stillwater Pollutant: Vinyl chloride The maps reproducedinthis ' Plymouth \ ~. Deseiription: Edina shutdown a city report were createdforregulatpry ~t ~ ~~-New ~ _ ~ ' ~' i '~ ~ ~ Elmo well in 2003 afterthe chemical was orpublichealtlipurposes byengi- , ~ ~ ; =; Bzightnn ~ ' , rJ r detected.Plumecoversan8.8-square- neerswhoinferredbraadazeasof '~ ~ E ! ' `'~'` .Maplewood ,;~< ` ~ ~ '~ ~,,-.,,, ~~ ; mile-area; part of it is under a former potential pollution usingwelltest - i . _ _~~ • ~ ,~, 1 ~x 1 ~ , } "~ ,;; wood-treatmentsi#e(2),howeverthe data Noteverypointbetweentwo , ~ _,_ _Jil,~ ~' ~ ~y ~* I ,~ ;'; ~,7 E-. Bayt<swn ~ ~ St Iq . FarB ~~ --~ .~~ ~ St Paul (~/ ~ ~__ { Twp. • ., _. - source of vutyl chloride is unlrnown. sampledwells is necessarily con- F,. ~ )I~ ~ ,. ~~ t - ; taminated'i'herefore,rtcantbeas- '~: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~-~ ~~~ ~s - ~: tt ~ z i, I. ~ TA ~ sumed that every property within Y Minnetonka ~{ ~ 3~y jr^ % ~ ~ ~ ~ ~, ~ ~ T ~ C t~'~ ~~ x ~ A le P 1. a tot ~ a mapped plume has pollution ~` i ~ ~.; ~ , Location: St. Louis Park, Hopkins beneath it. When state agencies ~~ 1 J Minne lis ~.? % r ` y ^,~ ~ ` r~ ~; Pollutants: PAHs testprivate and muniapal wells, f ~ r ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Description: Chemicals from a wood owners are notified afttte resutts. ~ ' ( - ~ ` '. '' ~ ~ _ ~''~ Edna i; s ~; ~3 °` A/-$ , . Afton ,: preservative plant(1917-1972)have TheStazTYibuneexamined ,; . , s ~ ~ „ , required caazbonfiltrationsince1986 maps andotherpublici'emrds,an- -; x;~- _ ;- - a9a ,__ - ~t ;''y at two affected city wells. Plume is alyzed a Superfund database and Eden 1 ' " . , . !, ~ ti stable. Site is now a pazk. interviewed regulators, engineers, :Prairie i ~ `~ ~ ~ " " " pubficheatth'bfficialsandwater ~ Bloo on j~~ ~;; } : ~~~ xerghts '`" ~ ~ ;~ ti L' .F lB ~ I z~ N ~ ~ ~ fi L t ~ supply managers to identify 20 r rmngt c3 ~ ~',~ ~ - l~ >!? 5 E N I C 51 `t' 1~ areas of significant groundwater ii ~ Eagan ~ t V r y z~ ~~ K, , ~ . , ,,~^,~ Location: Minneapolis mntanunation in the seven-coon- Key for phone 12, "cry ~ '' ;• } ~~ ~~ Pollutant: Arsenic - tymetro regionT'helist includes Concentrations of TcE: ;"~' ~~ ~~*" - Deseription:Former pesticide op- large areas of contamination anct ~- ', ~ 4 Rosemount " '~ t-' d ; wis; erations (1938-1968) left arsenic in a smallerones withnotablerisks. ~ ~ to 5 parts per billion t `-r~ ~•' ` ^ ~ ,~ _ 23-acre area of groundwater. Soil was Some plumes are excluded, `. A~ove 5 parts per billion , , _ contaminatedoverabroaderarea. especially if pollutionremains (drinkiirgwaterstandard) ~ ~ -'~ on site. Not all azeas of chemical _ ' •~"d ' 5Ii p R E Y3 A I~t YA id ~ - contamination had maps or suf- Key for plumes 14,15 and 16, I,akevil] e w K ~'r p L. u t~ E ficient data for inclusion Concentrations of P~BA: Location: Minneapolis Other information, including, Below 1 part per billion , Pollutant: PCP affected aquifers and data sources, At or above 1 part per billion` ..t ` Description: Wood tie treatment (1915- appearswith aninterattivemap at (drinking,materg~idance) Farmington / s~...~.r ...~.. 1972) at Soo Line railyard contaminat- Star'lYibune.com/groundwater. _ r ` - - ~~ -emu.,. r,~~.r ~ ~~~_ ~.~b , - edgroundwater over a 100-block area ~~ ~F BILLY STEVE CLAY'['^N • Star Tribune - EAST PLUME .Location: Minneapolis Pollutants: VOCs Description: Degreasers and solvents from roundhouse and former chemi- cal distribution center created this pot lution plume. F1~IHLEY C3RDN.~NCE '' PL A.AdT PLUMES Location: Fridley Pollutant: TCE Description: Two stable chemical plumes at a Navy munitions plant on the Mississippi River no longer threat- enthe Minneapolis water supply.. IILAIAIE GRQUNIRFVRTER PLLFME Location: Blaine Pollutant: DCA Description: Industrial chemical from an unknown source affects ground- waterbeneath 1% square miles. City treats water from affected wells. EAST l3E°CTiEL LP~AII4FILL PLt7ME Location: East Bethel Pollutants: VOCs, other chemicals Description: Groundwater near closed .landfill is constantly extracted so the small pollution plume won't grow. ARtdk AMMI7IdI'I'It3N PLF11V~` FLUME Location: Arden Hills, New Brighton, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Mounds View, St. Anthony, Minneapolis Pollutant: TCE Description: Two suburbs must filter. water from this 8-square-mile plume containing solvents from a former ,munitions plant in Arden Hills (1941- 1975). a , itVQOD TREFcTMENT PLUME Location: New Brighton Pollutants: PCP, other chemicals Description: Shallow groundwater near the closed MacGillis & Gibbs plant is extracted and treated to re- move wood-preserving chemicals. Flw~. 9~/ AiORTIi r3AKS PLUME Location: North Oaks, White Beaz Township Pollutant: Vinyl chloride I: Description: Contamination from a dump on Hwy. 96 (1920s-1$74) has migrated under Gilfillan Lake in North Oaks, affecting some residents' wells. BAY Tf3Va'N 'TC3N5HlP TCE PLUME Location: Bayport, Baytown and West Lakeland townships, Lake Elmo Pollutant: TCE Description: Solvents from an equip- ment maker (1940-1968) affected groundwater under 7 square miles; 160 home wells require filters. LAItELAbltl i GROUI~ID~'TI~'TER PLUMES Location: Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Afton Pollutants: VOCs, BTEX Description: Chemicals in about 100 private wells prompted construction of a municipal water supply in 1991. Two groundwater plumes afe believed stable, with chemical levels dropping. 3M c9Ak£DALE Dtdt!iP PLUME Location: Oakdale and neazby azeas Pollutants: PFCs, VOCs Description: Waste dump used by 3M (1956-1960) is one of three sources of PFCs in vicinity. Chemicals have spread to the south. CUtsNI'~? L~iNi3F°lLL ,` &'LUME Location: Lake Elmo and nearby areas Pollutants: PFCs, VOCs Description: Closed public landfill (1969-1975) accepted wastes from many sources, including 3M; affects groundwater to south and east. 3M Y~Tt:3t7TlP.,UR~ D[1MP PLUME Location: Woodbury and neazby areas Pollutants: PFCs, VOCs Description: Large areas of PFC-con- taminated groundwater lie south and west of this 3M dump (1960-1966) Note: Shaded area shows where well restric- Note: The PfBA contamination is also beneath lions apply; chemical plume not mapped. Afton, Cottage Grove, Denmark Township, Grey Cloud Island Township, Hastings, Landfall, Maplewood, Newport, St. Paul Park and South St.Paul.- ]tEFIl1TE~Y/PCP PLUME Location: St. Paul Pazk. Pollutants: PCP, petroleum Description: Small plume near Mis- sissippi River from a former wood treating business and a refinery now ' owned by Marathon Oil Co. Prza~ Ex~ L~n1zsF1LL ~ Location: Inver Grove Heights Pollutants: VOCs , Description: Small, stable plume in shat- . low groundwater near Mississippi River. F'F.INT H7.LLS REPlhIEItY `' Pk.UME Location: Rosemount Pollutants: BTEX Description: Plume of pollution from refinery extends 1.5 miles to Mis- sissippiRiver; 4.1 million gallons of wastes removed so far. g„ FARMI16iGTQ1V PLUME Location: Farmington Pollutant: PCE Description: Narrow plume of groundwater tainted with dry- cleaner chemicals'migrating towazd Vermillion River, a trout stream. CHEMICALS IN THE WATER xEY: (c) cARC1NOGEN; (PC) POSSIBLE CARCINOGEN AT STARTRIBUNE.CQM[GROUNDWATER Arsenic: Semi-metal element from natural deposits, agricultural practices, industrial uses (PC). Benzene: Colorless liquid widely used in making other compounds (C) . BTEX: Stands for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene; found in petroleum. 1,1-DCA: Oily liquid used to make such things as finish removers (PC). 1,2-DCA: Oily liquid used in plastics, rubber, resins, fumigants (PC). PAHs: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocaz- bons; chemicals found in coal tar, crude oil, creosote (PC). PCE: Colorless liquid used in dry clean- ing.Also known as perchloroethylene. PCP: Organic solid once used as a wood preservative (PC). PFCs: Perfluorinated chemicals, includ- ing PFOA, PFOS and PFBA, formerly used in 3M coatings and stain-resis- tantproducts. TCA: Trichloroethane is a solvent used in spot cleaners, other products. Toluene: Clear, colorless liquid with a distinctive odor used in thinners, ad- hesives (PC). TCE: Trichloroethylene, a liquid grease remover or solvent. Vinyl chloride :Colorless gas often formed vvhen certain chemicals break down (C). VOCs: Volatile organic compounds; in- cludes solvents and other chemicals. Xylenes: Solvents acid thinners. i Source:EPA,CDC ' • An interactive map with magnified views of groundwater plumes, plus information about chemicals, the history of the pollution and cleanup efforts. • A blog inviting readers to comment on groundwater issues, health. concerns and the series. • A gallery. of photos from this story.