INFORMATION 09-16-2002INFORMATION
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
September 9, 2002
Concerned Neighbor
RE: Former R.C. Roll-Offs Site, Elk River, Minnesota
Dear Neighbori
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the city of Elk River (City) and the Sherbume County
Attorney's Office (County) have coordinated efforts in the criminal and civil investigation at the former
R.C. Roll-Offs site (Facility) located at 13913 Highway 10, Elk River, Minnesota. The information that
has been collected by all three units of government is part of an on-going investigation and has been
deemed non-public under Minn. Stat. § ch. 13, the "Data Practices Act." Under Minn. Stat. § 13.39,
subd. 2, the MPCA has chosen, in the interests of promoting public health and safety, to release the
sampling information contained below. The MPCA continues to review sample information, the MPCA
staff feels it is appropriate to discuss some of the sampling information at this time.
Ash samples were collected on July 9, 2002, during the execution of a criminal search warrant at the
Facility. The table on the reverse side of this document provides a cross-section of the sampling results
for key contaminants of concern in the ash.
This update does not include sample results from waste materials that were inside buildings. These waste
materials were in containers or dumpsters. Individual components found in these waste materials may be
of concern. However, these components were not crushed or incinerated at the Facility and therefore their
potential risk to the public or the environment is small.
Listed below is a brief explanation of terms and quantities for ash samples listed in the table on the
reverse side of this document.
Milligrams (mg) per Kilograms (kg) is a measurement unit that indicates parts per million.
The Residential Soil Reference Value (SRV) limit represents a limit that the Minnesota Department
of Health, the MPCA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, toxicologists and health experts
have determined to be safe levels of contaminants to achieve for residential property use. The SRV
limits are the most protective standards that the MPCA uses for environmental and brownfield
cleanup activities.
The "Pollutant(s) of Concern" column highlights the pollutant(s) within each sample that had a result high
enough to be of some level of interest. I have bolded the samples that tested above the SRV limits. Most
sample results indicated background levels. When samples show background levels, the soil could likely
be found in an average yard and pose no real public health or environmental risk because the samples are
far below the SRV.
The MPCA tested for many potential pollutants as part of the investigation. Pollutants that tested below
detectable limits will not be listed in the table on the next page.
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Concerned Neighbor
Page 2
September 9, 2002
Sample Type & Pollutant(s) of Results in mg/kg Residential SRV Comment
No. Concern or parts per in mg/kg or parts
million per million
Ash- 1 Lead 240 400 Below SRV
Ash-2 Lead 240 400 Below SRV
Ash-3 Lead 150 400 Below SRV
Ash-4 Lead 210 400 Below SRV
Ash-5 Lead 160 400 Below SRV
Ash-6 Lead 130' 400 Below SRV
Ash-7 Lead 140 400 Below SRV
Ash-9 Lead 210 400 Below SRV
Ash-9 Arsenic 91 10 Above SRV
Ash-10 Lead 1500 400 Above SRV
Ash- 10 Chromium 110 34300 Below SRV
Ash-10 Arsenic 190 10 Above SRV
Ash-11 Lead 540 400 Above SRV
Ash-11 Arsenic 240 10 Above SRV
Ash- 12 Lead 220 400 Below SRV
Ash-13 Lead 460 400 Above SRV
Ash- 14 Lead 190 400 Below SRV
Ash- 15 Lead 260 400 Below SRV
Ash-16 Lead 270 400 Below SRV
The samples in the table were collected from throughout the ash locations including samples taken along
the fence line. Even though lead is being listed most often, these samples were analyzed for a great
variety of chemicals that may have been present but were not found. Initially, in June, one of the first
samples tested at the Facility revealed a high concentration of lead (218,000 ppm). However, numerous
samples are needed in order to get a more accurate picture of the contents of the ash pile that could be
hazardous. Further testing of the contents of the ash pile has not revealed significantly high lead
concentrations. Accordingly, at the present time, these further test samples would indicate that no
significant health hazard exposure occurred to the neighbors of the Facility.
The MPCA would like to remind you that the Facility will undergo additional investigation and
remediation if necessary to clean up subsurface soils. The ash and other debris still on-site will be
cleaned up either by the landowner or by the MPCA. The large number of samples and the complexity of
the sampling have added to the time needed to review the data.
Concerned Neighbor
Page 3
September 9, 2002
The MPCA staff thanks you for your patience and I encourage you to contact me at (651) 296-7271 with
additional questions or concems. The MPCA hopes to initiate cleanup of the remaining waste materials
on site, including the ash, within three to four weeks. Between 80 and 90 percent of the waste material
has been removed from the Site thus far.
Sinq.e~y,y,/ ~ //
Compliance Coordinator
Regional Environmental Management District
JTC:dac
CC:
Gary Leistico, Rinke Noonan
Stephen Rohlf, City of Elk River
Jeff Beahan, City of elk River Police Department
Stephanie Klinzing, Mayor, Elk River
Dave Lucas, Sherbume County Solid Waste Officer
Russel Hamilton, American Park Investments