Cleanup of the St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar site is substantially complete. Currently MPCA is working with responsible parties to clean up small areas of remaining contamination and working with the City and property owners to assist redevelopment of unused property.
| City | St. Louis County |
|---|---|
| County | St Louis County |
| State | Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 46.67778, -92.21222 |
St Louis River Site 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: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.
EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, acenaphthylene, arsenic. Contamination has been detected in surface water, solid waste, sediment.
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.