EPA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have conducted several five-year reviews of the site’s remedy. These reviews ensure that the remedies put in place protect public health and the environment, and function as intended by site decision documents.
| City | Brainerd/Baxter |
|---|---|
| County | Crow Wing County |
| State | Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 46.35320, -94.22820 |
Burlington Northern Brainerd Baxter Plant is a federal Superfund site in Minnesota. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.
Current status: Construction complete. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy is complete, though long-term monitoring and institutional controls typically continue for years or decades. Groundwater treatment systems, for example, often run long after surface cleanup finishes.
EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, 9h-fluorene, acenaphthylene. Contamination has been detected in soil, sludge, leachate.
If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.