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NPL Site Narrative for St. Louis River Site
ST. LOUIS RIVER SITE
St. Louis County, Minnesota
Federal Register Notice: September 21, 1984Conditions at listing (September 1983): The St. Louis River Site near Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, includes the U.S. Steel Corp.'s Duluth Works and the Interlake Iron/Duluth Tar Site, as well as that portion of the St. Louis River with related contaminants.
From 1915 to 1979, the Duluth Works generated wastes containing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals from its coke, iron, steel, and wire operations. The plant covers 450 acres adjacent to the St. Louis River, an estuary to Lake Superior. Waste water from the coke and wire mill was discharged to settling basins, which in turn discharged to the St. Louis River. Ground water and surface water are contaminated, according to analyses conducted by the State, EPA, and U.S. Steel. Cloquet's municipal drinking water intake in Lake Superior, near the mouth of this river, is contaminated with varying, but low, levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from the St. Louis River.
Interlake Iron sold coal tar and coal tar distillates to Duluth Tar, which made roofing paper. They discharged their wastes directly to the St. Louis River. Duluth Tar burned down in the last few years. Interlake Iron was in business from the 1920s to the 1950s. There is little waste apparent on-site. Sludge in the river from the operation of the two companies is the main concern.
Status (June 1984): An enforcement action was initiated by the State on Sept. 27, 1983, requiring U.S. Steel to conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study to determine the type and extent of contamination at the Duluth Works and identify alternatives for remedial action.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.