Leech Lake Brownfields Program

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Leech Lake Brownfields Program

• Diane Thompson
• Hazardous Waste Manager
• Mario Reyes
• Hazardous Waste Technician

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What is a Brownfield?

• Brownfields are real property, the expansion,
  redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
  complicated by the presence or potential presence
  of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
  contaminant.

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Funding for Tribes in United States

• In 2002, Congress passed the Small Business
  Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization
  Act
• the Brownfields Revitalization Act authorizes 50
  million in annual grants between 2002 and 2006 to
  Tribes and States to develop BRPs
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards
  grants to Tribes and States

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Leech Lake Brownfields Response Program (B.R.P.)

• Initiated in 2003, the BRP is an ongoing
  multi-year effort by the Bands Division of
  Resource Management (DRM) to develop a dynamic
  response program.
• Expand the Departments environmental enforcement
  capabilities.
• Assert the Bands sovereignty and civil
  regulatory authority.
• Protect the health of the Reservation Population
  and the quality of the Reservation Environment.

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B.R.P. Requirements under CERCLA Section 128(a)

• Timely survey and inventory of brownfields sites
  on Tribal lands
• Oversight and enforcement authorities
• Effective means to approve, verify, and certify
  cleanup actions
• Meaningful opportunities for public
  participation
• Maintenance of public records.

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Steps in Conducting a Brownfields Response Program

• Site discovery
• Initial investigation
• Site hazard assessment
• Site hazard ranking
• Remedial investigation/feasibility study
• Selection of a cleanup action
• Site cleanup

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Past and Current Sites

• Facility Center Cass Lake
• Underground Storage Tanks
• Enbridge Pumping Station Cass Lake
• Inger Store
• Division of Resource Management (DRM)
• Waboose Bay Methamphetamine Lab Site

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Facility Center U.S.T.s

• Two 10,000 gallon fuel oil tanks on northwest
  corner of Facility Center
• These were removed in 2006
• Picture of tanks outside of Facility Center on
  next slide

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South Cass Lake Station Release

• Identified in May 2001 during voluntary
  monitoring well construction program
• Source was from an underground weeping flange.
  Dug up and fixed, accessible impacted soil
  removed.
• Investigation completed in phases in May 2001,
  September 2001, August 2002 and October 2003
• Ongoing ground water monitoring 4 times/year

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South Cass Lake Pumping Station
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U.S.G.S. Survey September 2007

• DRM, Ennbridge and United States Geological
  Survey (USGS) are in collaboration in dealing
  with the South Cass Lake Pumping Station Spill
• USGS finished push-probes work on Sept. 21, 2007
• Found the dissolved plume of benzene to be 100
  meters (328 ft.) further to the east-southeast
  than the original survey
• Map of past and current plume on next page

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U.S.G.S. Future Surveys

• Data from September survey will be reviewed to
  see if any more push-probe data are needed
• Decisions will also be made on where to put
  observation wells
• A few links to look at regarding this site
• http//www.lldrmenvironmental.com/Brownfields/Pa
  ge06-Cleanup.htm
• http//enbridgecasslake.com/go/site/986/

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Inger Store

• The site was used as a Grocery Store/Gas Station.
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is the legal owner of
  this property.
• Phase I Environmental survey completed on 7-22-91
  
• 3 tanks were removed from this site all of
  which were in poor condition.
• Two suction pumps remain at the site.
• Suspected source of the release to the
  unsaturated soil and groundwater system was
  attributed to tank overfill.
• This site is ready for use as of 2006

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Inger Store Old Location
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Leech Lake DRM Site

• Planning to have botanical seed garden put on DRM
  site
• Past owners were Wheeler Lumber/Supply Company
• Minnesota Chippewa Tribe construction company
• Now owned by Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

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DRM Phase I and Phase II work

• Phase I consisted of interviews of past owners
  and people familiar with the site
• It also included searching of databases, and old
  documents regarding the site.
• Possibly some contamination from the RCRA vault
  to the east and St. Regis superfund site just to
  the north of the DRM property

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DRM Phase II

• Phase II soil sampling completed on DRM site on
  June 20th, 2007
• Data still being processed
• Next step if needed will be the cleanup phase for
  the site
• Photo of soil sample locations on the site on
  next page

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Waboose Bay Site

• A clandestine drug laboratory was seized on June
  13, 2003
• The production of methamphetamine potentially
  provides immediate and long term health and
  safety concerns
• This allotment has been and is currently occupied
  illegally (trespassing) by unknown individuals.
• Phase I completed and report sent to EPA in
  November 2006
• It was approved by EPA for Phase II testing

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Phase II

• Soil Sampling of property completed on October
  30th, 2007
• Samples were sent to STL Labs and we are waiting
  for the results
• Photos included on next few pages of location of
  Waboose bay and aerial of property

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Waboose Location Map
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Brownfields 2008

• If needed we plan on starting cleanup process of
  DRM and Waboose Bay Site.
• Working with foresty on the cleanup of more open
  (illegal) dumps around the reservation currently
  over 70 dumps located around the reservation.
• Cleanup of S. Lake open dump site and testing for
  asbestos and lead at the Onigum church site.
• Working with the community to locate any other
  sites that would fall under the brownfields
  program, as well as any other open dump sites
  that are not already logged in.

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Onigum Church

• Approved Site Eligible on November 19th, 2007 by
  E.P.A.
• Will be doing testing for Lead and Asbestos
• Three photos of the onigum church on next three
  slides

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S. Lake illegal Dump Site

• Received e-mail from Jane Neumann in Chicago
  stated that this site is eligible for the
  brownfields Grant 128(a) to do an assessment
• Site was located by Keith Karnes and DRM Forestry
  Department
• Will do Phase I assessment Spring 2008
• Picture and Map location on next two pages

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S. Lake illegal dump site
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