Anoka Salvage Facility Reaches Settlement With MPCA

The Schwartzman Company Inc. will pay a $500,000 penalty as part of a recent consent decree approved by Anoka County District Court.

The settlement resolves civil litigation brought by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency against the company for unpermitted storage of solid and hazardous shredder fluff waste on its property. Under court orders issued prior to the settlement, Schwartzman removed this waste.

In addition to the penalty, the settlement requires Schwartzman to construct a noise barrier approved by the city of Anoka by the end of this year. Schwartzman must also develop a stormwater compliance, operations and maintenance plan, and submit it for approval by July 1. Temporary stormwater controls must be implemented by Sept. 30, and permanent controls must be in place by July 1, 2008.

Schwartzman also agreed to clean up its property in Anoka. Under the terms of the consent decree, the company must submit a work plan to the MPCA by July 6, 2004, for investigation of its site. This work plan will include a proposed schedule for installation and sampling of soil borings and groundwater monitoring wells. Schwartzman will provide the MPCA with a report by June 30, 2005, describing the type and extent of contamination on the site.

After the MPCA approves the investigative report, the company will implement all remedial actions by Dec. 31, 2007.

During last fall and spring, Schwartzman removed 43,000 cubic yards of shredder fluff stored on the site under a consent order approved by Judge Hall on Sept. 15, 2003.

The County District Court also issued a temporary injunction late last year that required the removal of 17,500 cubic yards of shredder waste in the berm surrounding the Schwartzman facility. This work was completed by this past April.

The ash from the September 2002 fire is in the process of being removed for proper disposal.

The main contaminants of concern at the site include lead and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs.

This consent decree is intended to resolve all remaining environmental matters at the site through compliance schedules contained in the document.