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Contaminated Site in Cass Lake

seeks Superfund site fix

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Worthington Daily Globe
Published Thursday, June 19, 2008

BEMIDJI , Minn. (AP) – The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the owner of a contaminated site in Cass Lake to come up with a permanent cleanup plan.

Ever since the St. Regis Paper Company plant was shut down in 1985, government agencies have been trying to figure out how to clean up the site. Under the state’s Superfund law, tons of soil have been removed, and wells and extraction systems have been installed to clean contaminated groundwater.

EPA remedial project manager Tim Drexler said there have been many other temporary fixes, including periodic house cleanings to remove dangerous dust in neighborhood homes. About 30 families have homes within the boundaries of the contaminated site, and high levels of cancer-causing chemicals like dioxin and pentachlorophenol can still be found in their yards.

Drexler said it’s time for a permanent fix. The agency has ordered “potential responsible parties” to come up with a plan, including International Paper, the current owner of the site. Other parties identified by the EPA include BNSF Railway Co., Cass Forest Products Inc. and the city.

For nearly 30 years, the St. Regis Paper Company made chemically treated telephone poles and railroad ties at the site.

“We’re getting really close to the end here, because once we have developed the alternatives, and that should be roughly a year from now, then everything will become very clear about where this is going and how it’s going to get there,” Drexler said.

Cass Lake Mayor Wayne LaDuke said the pollution at the downtown site has lowered property values and stunted economic development. Residents want the cleanup to be completed, he said.

“They’d like to see some closure as far as getting it cleaned up and getting rid of the negative image,” LaDuke said.

Residents who have grown up on or near the site said they have seen high rates of cancer, birth defects and other diseases in their families.

Bemidji attorney Mark Rogers has filed property and personal injury lawsuits on behalf of several Cass Lake families. Rogers said his clients want a buy-out that will allow them to move away from the contamination.

“They’re concerned about their health,” he said.

Cass Lake is about 15 miles southeast of Bemidji .

http://www.casslake.com/