Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
WASHINGTON COUNTY
BAYTOWN TOWNSHIP

Congressional District # 06

BAYTOWN TOWNSHIP GROUND WATER PLUME

EPA ID# MND982425209
Last Updated: September, 2006

Site Description

The Baytown Township Groundwater Plume site is located east of the village of Lake Elmo, Washington County, Minnesota. The plume extends into Baytown and West Lakeland Townships and continues eastward, approximately four miles to the St. Croix River. Baytown Township is a rapidly developing rural/suburban residential area on the eastern edge of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The contaminated groundwater is primarily in the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, which is the major source of drinking water for many residents in the area (through private and residential wells). The Lake Elmo airport is located near the western end of the plume and is currently administered by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). An estimated 8,000 people live in the area; 80 percent of the residents use private wells for their water supply.

Site Responsibility

The Deferral Pilot site is being addressed through state actions.

Threats and Contaminants

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) believes that use of 1,1,2-trichloroethylene (TCE) as a parts degreaser and paint remover at the airport may have caused some of the TCE groundwater plume, but the major source of the TCE was a former metal working facility at the Hagberg Country Market.  In addition to the TCE contamination, on the north side of the plume there are a few former grain storage bins which MPCA believes comprise the potential source of carbon tetrachloride that has been detected in that area of the plume. All detections of carbon tetrachloride have been below the hazardous ranking level in 2002.

Cleanup Progress

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) first detected TCE in private wells in 1987. Between 1987 and 2003, the MPCA, MDH, MAC, and the Washington County Department of Health have collected thousands of samples from private wells. MDH conducted a public health assessment and created a well advisory area. MAC is providing filtration systems to residents whose water is contaminated above health-based levels of TCE. To date, approximately 125 systems have been installed. MPCA and MAC have installed over 30 monitoring wells. 

MPCA completed a limited remedial investigation (RI) in 1995, which did not identify the sources of TCE. MPCA has conducted additional investigation activities on a nearby property. In March 2000, MPCA signed a record of decision (ROD) which set forth the remedy for the site.  The remedy included the installation of granular activated carbon (GAC) filters on private wells and the evaluation of emerging technologies to locate and remediate the sources of the contamination.

MPCA conducted further TCE source investigations and completed these investigations in 2004.  These investigations concluded that the major source of the TCE was a former metal working facility at the Hagberg Country Market.

Because contamination has reached Bayport municipal well #2, the MPCA is coordinating with the City of Bayport to install an air stripper to meet the treatment objectives in the ROD.  In addition,  the contamination at the Hagberg property ( the primary source of the contamination ) will include a hydraulic gradient control contaminant barrier system to minimize migration of the TCE plume off-site. 

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
thomas williams (williams.thomas@epa.gov)
(312) 886-6157

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
cheryl allen
(312) 353-6196

Aliases

BAYTOWN TOWNSHIP GROUNDWATER PLUME/LAKE
BAYTOWN TWP GROUNDWATER CONT
LAKE ELMO AIRPORT GROUNDWATER PLUME

 

Site Profile Information

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