Sep 21, 2005 7:29 am US/Central
EPA Begins Arsenic Cleanup In South Minneapolis
St. Paul (AP) ―
Christopher Stewart learned three weeks ago that his property in south Minneapolis contained arsenic, probably from an old pesticide manufacturing plant nearby.
And he's not alone. Stewart's property is the first of 28 that federal officials plan to clean up this fall, weather permitting. The yards all contain high levels of arsenic, which can cause cancer and other problems if inhaled or ingested at high levels over time.
"It's disrupting, but it's tolerable," Stewart said of the cleanup efforts.
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency cleaned up 30 properties, most within a few blocks of the former pesticide manufacturing plant. Officials sampled nearly 600 more properties in June within a several block radius and found additional high levels that prompted a second round of cleanup.
Ken Rhame, EPA on-scene coordinator, said the total cost will be about $2.2 million by the time the additional properties are cleaned up. The money comes from the federal Superfund.
Stewart said he and his wife and five children had their blood tested and the results were normal. But "there's nothing we can do but get this cleanup done" to avoid future risks," he said.
Tim Prendiville, EPA project manager, said public health risks have probably been low.
"For the most part there's been grass growing on many of these lots, so exposure would be minimal," he said.
But Prendiville and others have advised those with high arsenic levels in their yards to avoid unnecessary digging, to wash their hands frequently and to keep children from playing in the dirt until it has been replaced.
The former pesticide plant was near 28th Street and Hiawatha Avenue in the southeast corner of the Phillips neighborhood. Pesticides, some of which contained arsenic to kill grasshoppers, were produced or stored there between 1938 and 1968. Contaminated dust spread into the neighborhood by wind.
(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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