Posted at: 12/11/2009 5:56 PM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews
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Jack's Family Recycling's Soil Needs More E-Waste Testing

ALEXANDRIA, MINN. - Jack's Family Recycling tested the first six inches of their soil this past summer, but now the deeper soil needs testing.

Owner Kathy Hodges said they may have to drill up to six feet into the ground, but this is what Hodges expected all along.

"That was always the concept...that it was a phased approach," Hodges said.

The results are in from the first batch of topsoil tested at the center, and the samples didn't come back above hazardous levels.

"That was the result I anticipated," Hodges said.

The soil may not be hazardous, but it's still contaminated, according to Ray Bissonnette with Minnesota Pollution Control.

In order to be considered hazardous by the state, the soil must have 5mg of lead per liter of water, which is determined by something called a LEECH test.  The state pollution control has not release how much lead was found in samples taken from the center, but more extensive testing will be done.

"We expect there to be historical contamination resulting from previous activity," Bissonnette said.

The MPCA will test ground water from area homeowners' backyard wells to make sure contamination has not seeped into ground water and neighbor's wells.

"There is a possibility that historical contamination on the site could've gotten into the ground water," Bissonnette said.

Hodges doesn't expect there to be further contamination in the ground unless it's from before she owned the business.

"From 70 years ago when laws were different.  If there's been contamination from that historical use, we'll have to work with MCPA at that point," Hodges said.

Hodges will hire a new consultant for the second phase of testing.

"The previous consultant has a very heavy workload, so he just had too much on his plate," Hodges said.

MPCA has a different story.

"It sounded to me like the person she hired for the first phase of the assessment was not real familiar with hazardous waste sampling," Bissonnette said.

Hodges is making a new work plan, and the second batch of testing will be done sometime this winter.

"Whatever it takes to make sure that we're in compliance," Hodges said.

Despite the need for further testing, the MPCA says there's no imminent hazard.

"I think if there was we would certainly immediately take action to, for example, provide bottled water if necessary or anything that would mitigate any hazards to the community," Bissonnette said.

Hodges has about 30 days to come up with a work plan.  If MPCA finds contamination in the soil clean up would start sometime this spring, and Bissonnette says it could be a long, tedious process.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com