&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Spring kick-off meeting EPA will hold an open-house style session in March to give residents an opportunity to talk to EPA representatives one-on-one. You may stop by during the hours listed below and ask questions about the final cleanup work or about the site in general. No appointment is needed. Wednesday, March 31 6-8 p.m. Matthews Recreation Center 231829thAve. S. Community outreach Working with community members is an important part of the cleanup process. As this project continues it remains a top priority to involve the neighborhood in the process so if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the work please call, write or e-mail Cheryl Allen or Tim Prendiville. EPA would like to hear from you. Contact information Cheryl Allen Community Involvement Coordinator 312-353-6196 allen.cheryl@epa.gov Tim Prendiville Remedial Project Manager 312-886-5122 prendiville.timothy@epa.gov EPA Region 5 Superfund Division 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3560 Call Region 5 toll-free: 800-621-8431 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays EPA Ready to Begin Cleanup Work as Spring Arrives South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination Site Minneapolis, Minnesota March 2010 As spring approaches, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contractors are getting ready to continue the final phase of arsenic cleanup at the South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination Superfund site. Work this spring will begin in the Seward neighborhood as soon as the ground thaws. When the project began last year, there were 485 properties to be cleaned up under the remedial program. Last season, EPA and its contractors cleaned up 40 properties. The final cleanup phase under the remedial program is expected to take about 2 years to complete. The latest stage of the project is being paid for with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Property owners pay nothing. The properties scheduled to be cleaned up in this final phase include nine lots with very high arsenic concentrations. The rest have lower but still unsafe contamination levels. EPA will hold an open-house style meeting to give residents an opportunity to talk about the site (see box, left). No formal presentation will be given. Cleanup process If your property is scheduled to be cleaned up, you should have already received a letter from EPA letting you know your home is in this work phase. Before any work begins, EPA representatives will meet with you to discuss your property and walk over it with you so you can identify any specific issues you might have. About the South Minneapolis site The South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination site study area covers about 1,480 acres including residential, commercial, industrial and municipal properties. The area is largely residential, with much of the housing built from the early 1900s through the 1930s. The site has been investigated for residential arsenic contamination, some of which may have drifted through the air from the former CMC Heartland Lite facility located in the neighborhood. How to stay informed about site activities The best way to keep up-to-date on site activities is to visit EPA's Web page: www.epa.gov/region5/sites/cmcheartland. This Web page is kept current with information about site activities such as technical documents, fact sheets and other information about the project. If you know someone who needs information in another language, please contact Cheryl Allen (see box on the left). EPA can provide documents in other languages and supply translation services at meetings if needed. Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Documents about the site can also be found at the following locations in Minneapolis: Green Institute City of Minneapolis Minneapolis 2801 21st Ave. S. Police Dept. Central Library Suite 100 Attn: CarlaNielson 300 Nicollet Mall 1201-BE. Franklin Ave. 2nd Floor Minneapolis Public Library East Lake Branch 2727 E. Lake St. Access agreements still needed EPA still needs almost 150 signed access agreements from property owners before work can begin in their yards. If you received a letter and access agreement and have not returned the signed form, EPA is asking that you send it as soon as possible. Access agreements should be sent to EPA's Tim Prendiville (address in box, Page 1). EPA contractors remove contaminated soil. This is what a home looks like six weeks after cleanup work is done and the yard seeded. vvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Superfund Division (SI-7J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago. IL 60604-3590 First Class Mail Postage and Fees Paid EPA Permit No. G-35 Return Address Requested SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD SOIL CONTAMINATION SITE: Cleanup Work Begins as Spring Arrives ------- |