White Bear Area Neighborhood Concerned Citizens Group

What’s the environmental impact of 17 years worth of excessive TCE pollution?

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PART SIX: In May of 2019, Water Gremlin launched a site to educate the community on their pollution control fines and what they were doing for the future. This is the sixth in a series of NCCG responses to their Frequently Asked Questions.

From Water Gremlin:
Q: Are any bodies of water, groundwater or soil impacted by Water Gremlin’s operations?
A: No. An assessment conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health states, “The TCE air releases from Water Gremlin would not have been able to reach the groundwater.”

FAQ #10, Environmental Health & Safety

A detailed Work Plan was released in May, 2019. Prior environmental reports, research and MPCA interactions are recapped and there are details on a variety of pollution instances where Water Gremlin operations have impacted the soil and water on site with not just TCE, but other VOCs, lead, petroleum and more. In fact, a plume was monitored between 1999 through 2004. “Concentrations of VOC’s in groundwater have generally decreased and are below their respective MDH HRLS.” (Pgs 2-9 – 2-13 of the Work Plan.) NCCG looks forward to the results of the testing outlined in the Work Plan to help understand what is (or isn’t) found on-site; since the 2004 ground water testing.

Water Gremlin might have done better by being more specific with the question they wrote and answered. Or they might have easily worded the answer to something like: The excessive air emittance of TCE is considered by the MDH and MPCA not likely to have impacted the soil or water.  A Work Plan is underway (as outlined in the Stipulation Agreement). Further assessments will be made regarding any pollution impact to bodies of water, groundwater or soil by Water Gremlin’s operations.

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All referenced FAQs from Water Gremlin are copied and pasted directly from their website as of June 14, 2019. Our responses are based on facts (cited) and our point-of-view (POV) . Our POV is based on an assessment of facts, advice from independent third-party experts and our own experiences.