EPA proposes to delete Arrowhead Refinery Co. site in Hermantown, Minnesota from Superfund list
Public comment period ends June 14
CHICAGO (May 17, 2021) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a 30-day public comment period on its proposal to delete the Arrowhead Refinery Co. Superfund site in Hermantown, Minnesota, from the Superfund National Priorities List. The agency has determined that cleanup is now complete and no further action is necessary.
From 1945 to 1977, the company’s former refining operation generated a waste stream of highly acidic, metal-laden sludge which was disposed of in an unlined two-acre lagoon at the site. Wastewater was discharged into a ditch in a wetland area. In 1976, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ordered the Arrowhead Refinery Co. to discontinue disposal of wastes at the site. In 1980, EPA performed preliminary site investigations and the site was added to the NPL in 1984. Site cleanup involved:
- Excavation, treatment and off-site disposal of sludge and filter cake.
- Excavation and off-site disposal of soils and sediments.
- Groundwater extraction and treatment.
Long-term stewardship will continue to maintain institutional controls, site security and ensure future land use is consistent with the cleanup. Superfund law requires five-year reviews following cleanups to ensure the remedy continues to effectively protect human health and the environment. A proposed or final deletion does not prevent future actions under the Superfund law.
The NPL tracks the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Sites on the list are eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program and once all the remedies are successfully implemented, EPA removes sites or parts of sites from the list.
EPA’s comment period began May 14 and closes June 14. The public can submit comments by:
- Email: Deletions@usepa.onmicrosoft.com
For more information: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/arrowhead-refinery.
Final close out report: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/05/964835.pdf.
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