Former City of Duluth Dump #1

[Charles Bennington <charles>]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following message is being posted for John Lepak (johnl@cp.duluth.mn.us),
who sent it to me to post.

 Charles Bennington
 Essential Information
 charles@essential.org

------------------------- forwarded message -----------------------------------

We found out the other day via telephone conversation with either
the MPCA or MN Dept of Health that they NEVER tested for  DIOXIN
because the test was too expensive. They also said "we know it is there".
Please CALL so they will test....           They think nobody cares... 
Lets prove them WRONG.....................

I want to help my family get off this site. Please write me 
back if you will call. My whole family thanks you for your help.

Former City of Duluth Dump #1
Please Help!    Phone numbers to call at the end of document!
If you know any environmental or poison experts please forward this.

My parents purchased a old farm in 1953 on the outskirts of Duluth Minnesota, 
a beautiful city on the western tip of Lake Superior. My father, being a home 
builder, later started a small lumber yard there so he could spend more time 
with his family. Being unable to sell his first home he didn't move there until 
late 1955. During these years the City of Duluth started to operate a dump on 
the adjacent land. Without my father's knowledge they placed waste on his land 
within ten feet of his farm house. It should have been over 500 feet away. 
Methane was discovered over 100% of the lower explosive limit in 1989. The 
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) excavated 11/90 and made the 
discovery of the expanded westerly dump limit.

Since this time my parents had a total of seven children. My mother died of 
cancer in 1985 and my father died in 1994. My brothers, sisters and I have 
had a total of ten children. Eighty percent (80%) of the children have 
health problems relating to the dump. Love Canal had 56%. (If you want to 
see the list it is at the end of this document.) We continued my fathers 
business and most of us still continue to work there.

In 1984 the MPCA started testing. In 1987 they released a statement on 
television, without informing us, that our drinking water was contaminated. 
The MPCA installed a filter system in the house. We are forced to pay for it 
even though the city was mandated to do so. One  year later the City of 
Duluth was named the only Responsible Person (RP). A response for remedial 
action (RFRA) was issued to the City of Duluth on 8/23/88. Testing continued 
during the next several years. On January 31, 1995 we found out from the 
MPCA that the system never took out the heavy metal contamination from our 
only source of drinking water. Apparently it only was there to make the 
poisoned water "taste better". 

During the late 1980 and through the 90's the MPCA continuously told us 
this would soon be over and we would have to be moved off the site. Our 
land became worthless because of the dump,. My brother discussed relocation 
with the City for several years and they kept promising to do something. 
No action was taken.

Disgusted with the lack of any progress, after promises from both the City 
and the MPCA, we began our own investigations. When we realized that the 
MPCA had failed to enforce action against the only named RP i.e. The City 
of Duluth.  We began contacting various political representatives as high 
as the President's staff in Washington DC. The MPCA began retaliating 
against us, under the direction of Project Manager Ms. Miriam Horneff. 
After my father died the MPCA forced his children to hire a consultant 
to remediate a small gas tank which was on the property. Several years 
before his death this tank was tested twice and removed under direction 
of the MPCA. The Project Manager at that time determined that the tank 
didn't leak. Ms. Horneff insisted the tank had a large hole in it. (This 
was not true.) She turned the case over to Tanks and Spills. Our consultant 
recently completed the report which cost nearly $30,000.00 and proved the 
tank did not leak. After Ms. Horneff received this information she once 
again attacked our family by naming my dead father as a RP for another 
unrelated issue. She did this without facts or evidence. When asked why; 
she said, she wanted to put us on an level playing field with the City. 
Obviously, she wanted the political pressure to stop. In naming my father 
she is forcing my family to continue to suffer the consequences of living 
on this poisoned property.

Some of the Organic chemicals found in our well water. 
In ug/l from 12/88 to 5/95.

	1,2-Dichlorothane	 	        .7
	1,1-Dichloroethylene		        6.8
	Methyl Ethyl Ketone		        12.
	Benzene				        190.
	Ethylbenzene		 	        11.
	P&O Xylene		  	        2.4
	MlP Xylene		 	        15.
	1,2,4 Trimethylbenzene  		5.8
	Naphtalene		    	        .7
	Toluene		     		        .8
	Benzo (b) Fluoranthene    		.0038
	Benzo (a) pyrene	      		.0012

Metals found in June 18, 1992. Test conducted by RREM Engineering Inc. 
for the City of Duluth.  Our only drinking water source. In ug/l
	Arsenic			2.2
	Calcium			49,000.
	Cadmium		        .09
	Copper			120.
	Iron			1200.
	Potassium		3000.
	Mangesium		23,000.
	Manganese		310.
	Sodium			12,000.
	Lead			2.
	Zinc			90.
Vinyl Chloride, pcb's and other substances have been found on our 
property.

More information Contact John Lepak (me)    johnl@cp.duluth.mn.us
	Please call the following people. Please be persistent.  
All their files are public record. Maybe if they get enough calls 
they will finally do something. We need to be relocated now. 
The dump is called Former City of Duluth Dump #1:

MPCA 
	Mirium Horneff 			800-657-3864	or 612-296-7228
MN Dept. of Health
	Rick Soule			800-657-3908	or 612-623-5054
US Sen. Paul Wellstone			800-642-6041	or 612-645-0323
US Rep. James Oberstar			218-727-7474
MN Gov. Arnie Carlson			800-657-3717	or 612-296-3391
MN Att. Gen. Hubert H. HumphreyIII	800-657-3787
Mayor Gary Doty (Duluth)		218-723-3295


Charles W. Williams
MPCA
520 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155-3898

Miriam Horneff
MPCA
520 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155-3898

Senator Paul Wellstone
2552 University Ave. West
Court International Bldg
St. Paul, MN  55114-1025

Rep. James Oberstar
231 Federal Building
Duluth, MN 55802

MDH Attn: Rich Soule
121 E. 7th Place
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN  55164

Govenor Arne Carlson
State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155

Hubert H Humphrey III
Attorney General
102 State Capitol
St. Paul, MN   55155

Our children have the following health problems:

Four of these children over sixteen months old DO NOT SPEAK.  
Two children have CEREBRAL PALSY, One child is AUTISTIC. One 
child has SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA and an EXTRA FINGER. Four of the 
children have SCOLIOSIS. Two of the children suffer SEIZURES. 
Six of the children have LEARNING DISABILITIES. Two of the children 
have BREATHING PROBLEMS. One of the children has a serious SKIN 
CONDITION. The four women who lived at the sight and drank the 
water have had TWELVE MISCARRIAGES. All this is explained in the
Health Dept's opinion as WITHIN A REALM OF STATISTICAL AVERAGES.