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Companies agree to develop cleanup plan for Cass Lake, Minn., Superfund Site; meeting Nov. 13

Release Date: 11/03/2008
Contact Information: Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov Don de Blasio, 312-886-4360, deblasio.don@epa.gov

CONTACT: Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov
Don de Blasio, 312-886-4360, deblasio.don@epa.gov


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA171

Companies agree to develop cleanup plan for Cass Lake, Minn., Superfund Site; meeting Nov. 13

CHICAGO (Nov. 3, 2008) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached agreement with two companies on developing options to permanently reduce health risks at the St. Regis Paper Superfund site in Cass Lake, Minn.

A public meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m., at Cass Lake-Bena Elementary School, 15 4th St., N.W.

Under the terms of a recently signed consent order, International Paper Co. and BNSF will produce a series of documents that address remaining health and ecological risks associated with the site. Once EPA approves the feasibility study report, it will conduct a public hearing in Cass Lake to present cleanup options and EPA's recommended approach. There will be opportunities for public comment. EPA expects the hearing to be scheduled in November 2009.

The St. Regis Paper Superfund site was a wood treatment facility that operated from about 1958 to 1985. The site was initially cleaned up in the 1980s by its former owner, Champion International. IP is the current property owner and continues to treat groundwater from the site.

More information about the St. Regis Superfund site is available at Cass Lake Library, Leech Lake Tribal College, the Bemidji State University Library and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management. Documents are also online at www.epa.gov/region5/sites/stregis/.