2021 Vol 15, Issue 6 October Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Zoom Call Planned on Well Situation The distribution of the 1,4-Dx detections in the private wells makes the source unclear. Additional sampling efforts to identify the source are ongoing. Samples of shallow ground water (less than 100 feet below the ground surface) were collected from borings drilled on the Water Gremlin property as part of required monitoring in December 2019 and the summer of 2020. This monitoring showed 1,4- Dx at concentrations greater than the HRL. In January and February 2020, MDH sampled 11 private wells, detecting 1,4-Dx below the HRL in 3 wells. Water Gremlin sampled 44 more private wells in July 2020, but detected 1,4-Dx in only 3 additional wells, also below the HRL. To better understand the occurrence, movement, and the source of 1,4-Dx in the area, additional data collection and analysis is required. White Bear Lake City water was tested in March 2020 and no 1,4 DX was detected. After results from additional sampling are in, the MPCA/MDH will determine the locations of any additional residential well sampling. Water Gremlin is currently drilling additional monitoring wells near their facility to evaluate the water quality and flow direction in the deeper sand aquifer. This is the aquifer from which most nearby private wells appear to be getting their water (based on the few available well logs for the private wells in the area). If you have questions regarding this important matter, contact the Minnesota Department of Health by calling 651-201-4897 and leaving a message or emailing health.hazard@state.mn.us. To contact the MPCA, call 651-757-2998 Please dial in to this zoom call. The dial in link will be available on the Gem Lake web-site under news and updates. Please note that we may not have the information to post there until 1-2 days prior to October 14. We will also do an email to any resident that has provided us with an email address. You can call our city clerk to make sure we have your email information. Lastly, you should also be able to see the link to the zoom call a day or two before by going to the following web address: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/gemlake As you may know, Water Gremlin, a White Bear Township manufacturer on Otter Lake Road, has had ongoing issues with the release of more potentially harmful chemicals, such as TCE, above the allowable limits in the past few years. They are working with the Minnesota Department of Health to test wells in the area to determine potential pollution affects. In 2020, 6 private wells in Gem Lake, out of a total of 54 sampled had detectable levels of the chemical 1,4 -dioxane (1,4-Dx). Concentrations in all six wells were below the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Health Risk Limit (HRL) for drinking water of 1 part per billion (ppb) and were not of health concern. Follow up sampling began in July 2021. Initial results of the sampling have shown that 15 wells have 1,4-Dx slightly above the MDH HRL, ranging from 1.1 to 3 ppb. All wells are located in a cluster along the western part of Goose Lake Road. Affected residents have been contacted and will receive bottled water for drinking and cooking. The addresses of affected homeowners is not public information. In December 2020, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) directed Water Gremlin to submit a work plan to sample additional private wells within a one-mile radius of their facility, including wells that had previous detections of trace amounts of 1,4-Dx. Water Gremlin’s environmental consultant, Wenck, sent letters to 129 residents, requesting access to collect and test their well water, including some homes that went beyond the one-mile radius. As a result, they tested 49 wells on 48 properties. The 1,4-Dx HRL of 1 ppb represents an amount of a contaminant that poses little or no health risk to those drinking the water daily for a lifetime, including sensitive or highly exposed people. 1,4- Dx is considered a likely human carcinogen, based on studies of animals exposed to very high amounts. Concentrations detected in well water in Gem Lake are just above the HRL. 1,4-Dx breaks down quickly in the body and is eliminated within several days. For more information about 1,4-Dx exposure and health in Gem Lake, see 1,4-Dioxane in Private wells-Gem Lake and the White Bear Area (PDF) (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/enviro nment/hazardous/docs/sites/ramsey/wgprtwellgeml ake.pdf).