CC_Minutes_2004_0809 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Ms. Cathy Capone Bennett Page 2 August 9, 2004 I~esldentflal ws. I.ndustrlal. Residential sites will have different, more stringent, cleanup criteria than industrial sites. These criteria are available on the MPCA web site at www.pca.state.mn under clez~nup and risked-based approach. Working wit~n the V®luntary l~ragnevvork The vast majority of contaminated Sites within the City will fall into the Voluntary Program. It is a fact of life. The Voluntary Program has proven to be the fastest way to achieve a cleanup. Motivated buyers and sellers are far more likely. to investigate and cleanup a Site than non-motivated buyers and sellers. Through brownfields redevelopment, communities can produce jobs, increase the tax base, mitigate any residual health or environmental risks associated with past contamination, make better use of existing infrastructure, and help curb urban sprawl. In addition, that state offers a number of grant and loan programs which can also be accessed via our Brownfield Redevelopment Guide, to assist with this process. This makes the Voluntary Approach a winlwin. The volunteer wins because they get a new brownfield redevelopment. The citizens win because they get a clean site and new jobs. Working outside the 'iT®luatary ~raffiew®rk When knowledge of a hazardous substance release site becomes available, the MPCA can and does take enforcement actions to address this contamination. Often, the owner of the Site is asked to became a volunteer, but if they do not, it can lead to the Superfund enforcement process. Under the Superfund enforcement process, the emphasis is on getting the responsible parties to investigate and remediate the site and there is a lot of due process of law built in. This is often a lf;ngthy process with a lot of litigation; it can take years to accomplish and recalcitrant parties can drag their feet the entire way. The Superfund enforcement process far contaminated Sites is well documented and deals with the worst sites first on a priority basis. When there is an emergency or the responsible parties are unwilling or unable to investigate and remediate the Site, the MPCA can step in and complete the necessary tasks, than seek, in a court of law to recover costs. tither sites, not considered a, priority cannot be addressed in a timely manner under this process and often await volunteers who see the value to redevelop the site. I3opefully, this brief summary of the issues helps answer some of th+~ questions raised by the City. If you have further questions, feel free to contact Rick Jolley at (651) 297-.573 or me at (651) 297-1459. Sincerely, Gerald J. Stahnke Project Manager Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Unit Superfund Section Majors and Remediation Division GJS1j~ rn~~TOn (3i 'TO~~I~00 ~IOIZIl'~ZOd '1~ LOL6~6ZT59 ~v~ T5 ~ 5T ~OOZ/60/0