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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-001 PUD/Rezoningi / /~~f City of Brooklyn Center Planning Commission Application Date ReEeived Application No. Q l Please Print Clearly or Tvae Address/Street Location of Property POxCei 1 V +SSZ ) erXeS(Wer~t- N • . hM f *(\Cri)12.1'~~C4.YCx'1 2- tl$Z 3 Legal Description of Property E' P ( *n('V1 Me-f\- - y11 Rd i t•~Q15 / C-//9-A1,-/-/ / -Oc'~ o Owner (JW D j& lja- Yic. Address -7251 ~l@S}. ll t - ; (y .pia( t") Applicant n~l C r ~D f P.! G c oc 1 kvllC v Address ~cA~Vf- Ll =,-WLR LC Type of Request: Rezoning ($1050) Phone No. `71D 7M1 J i715 FAX No. cl-n-332- 9'710 U-0- Phone No. i il-ClCiA-1S 13 -X 14 fJJ40rL FAX No. LA-L--gC$-lS)& ❑ Special Use Permit ($200) ❑ Subdivision Approval ($300) Site & Building Plan Approval ($750) Planned Unit Development ($1800) ❑ Appeal ($200) ❑ Variance ($200) ❑ Other: Description of Request: P.nm6neA 42VicaHon - rruy%l1RA Mt6 5rle_ A- B.Iilr. 1bQ Fla a (l gMW .I / PIA0)' Application Fee $ 1 FSW . OC Aoct No. 10100-4403 Receipt No. q1 7-7 3 The applicant requests processing of this application and agrees to pay to the City of Brooklyn Center, within fifteen (15) days after mailing or delivery of the billing statement, the actual costs incurred by the City for Engineering, Planning and Legal expenses reasonably and necessarily required by the City for the processing of the application. Such costs will be in addition to the application fee described herein. Withdrawal of the application will not relieve the applicant of the obligation to pay costs incurred prior to withdrawal. / /Jra.. ~1Pr1h~f(1irtS(sfl rmr Q`L~ LLO- -7 Applicant (Please Prin Appiicant's Signature City Use Only PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION City use Only I Dates of P. C. Consideration I A q _ O~/ Action Taken I n Y n I ' ►~r V ~ Approved 11 Denied this day of20, subject to the ///following conditions: Chairman CITY COUNCIL ACTION Dates of Council Consideration I A - A5 _ o p Action Taken r I CrpwD O F ~ a I , n I I Approved ❑ Denied this day of 20 with the following amend ent: i , r Clerk Geomatrix PHASE I ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT 4821 Xerxes Avenue North Brooklyn Center, Minnesota EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An ASTM compliant (ASTM E 1527-05) and EPA Final Rule (40 CFR Part 312) All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) compliant Environmental Site Assessment has been conducted on the property located at 4821 Xerxes Avenue North, Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County Minnesota, (the "Site"). This Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) has also been conducted in general accordance with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture guidance on conducting remedial investigations (Guidance Document No. 9) for agricultural chemical sites. The objective of the ESA has been to determine the history of the Site and it's operations to the extent that Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) can be defined to support a comprehensive investigation of Site soil and groundwater, and, if found necessary, to form the basis of a comprehensive site corrective action plan for commercial/industrial development at the Site. To this end, documents relating to the Site history have been assembled and incorporated into the ESA, including many private records from United Agri Products, the current property owner and predecessor company to the original Site owner and operator Howe Incorporated. The Site has been a manufacturer and distributor of custom formulated agricultural fertilizers and insecticides, fungicide and herbicides since approximately 1940. A retail petroleum station was also located at the Site from approximately 1945 to 1970. Pre-1940 Site activities included the operations related to potato farming and may have also included agricultural chemical storage and distribution. A sewing machine company which later was a manufacture of cultured marble also was partially located on and operated at the Site. The Site was owned for many years by the Howe family and operated under both the name of Howe Incorporated and Howe Chemical Company. Subsequently in approximately 1983 the facility was purchased by the Con Agra Fertilizer Company and in the 1990s became United Horticultural Products now known as United Agri Products (also known as UAP Distribution, Inc.) headquartered in Greeley Colorado. The Site operations, after the Howe ownership, included distribution of agricultural fertilizers, and for a few years, the manufacture of seeding equipment by a company that leased space in one of the existing buildings. DEPTDATA!Ono -I3540:RgmU 3000:Pb I ESA:Report tod-doo Geomatrix The Site historical records, interviews, and publicly available records indicate a number of recognized environmental conditions for the Site. These recognized environmental conditions are as follows. 1) The manufacture, storage and distribution from the Site of ammoniated granulated fertilizers, the importing, storage and distribution of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides and related agricultural chemicals since the mid-1940's until approximately 2001 represents a REC due to the bulk chemical storage and known and potential fugitive releases of the component products to Site soils. These fugitive releases are documented through complaints by area residents dating to the 1950's, on-Site soil sampling and analysis by or under the direction of State of Minnesota regulatory personnel and statements made by Howe personnel in the course of depositions related to lawsuits and City of Brooklyn Center efforts to force the Howe companies to both change their operational practices and to vacate the Site. 2) A major industrial incidence occurred at the Site when, in 1979, one of the buildings at the Site burned down. The building reportably contained over 80 tons of 100 different pesticides and over 120 tons of bagged and bulk fertilizers, all of which burned along with equipment (electrical equipment, vehicles, maintenance chemicals, wood, metal, batteries, etc.) stored within the building. The fire water used to fight the fire (estimated at 500,000 gallons) drained onto the Site pavements and soil where it pooled as well as ran into Site storm water catch basins. One of these catch basins is believed to be a Dry Well (not connected to any discharge piping that would lead the water away from the Site). The release of water contaminated by a wide range of Site materials, some of which that may have burned, to the ground surface at the Site represents a REC. 3) Site soil and groundwater sampling and analysis, subsequent to the fire, was performed and elevated concentrations of agricultural chemicals were detected in both the Site soil and groundwater. Additionally, sampling and analysis of neighboring residential lawns the next growing season detected elevated levels of herbicides. These soil and groundwater impacts represent a REC. 4) The Howe facility at the Site included maintenance of company vehicles and equipment that included welding, painting, cleaning metal parts with petroleum DEPTDATA:Projat 13540:Rdom 3000:Pb I ESA:RepW MM.&c 2 Geomatrix based solvents, truck washing, battery change-out and generation of used oils, the discharge or fugitive emissions from which may have been to an on-Site septic system or to the dry well. These operations, over the history of the Site by Howe, represent a REC. 5) A retail petroleum service station operated on the Site from approximately 1946 until 1970. This service station likely used underground storage tanks and, based on aerial photographs, may have also been a bulk distributor of petroleum from above ground storage tanks. There was no information available to determine if the historic UST's have been removed or if releases from the UST's occurred and, therefore, the use of the Site as a retail petroleum station represents a REC. 6) No sanitary sewer existed at the Site in the 1940's and. both the Howe facility and the retail petroleum facility would have had septic systems which may have also included drain fields. It is considered likely that the septic systems would have handled both sanitary wastes as well as waste liquids from the operations and, therefore, the septic systems represents a REC. 7) The Howe facility operations included the use of at least three underground storage tanks (UST) for diesel fuel (10,000 gallons), fuel oil (4,000 gallons) and for gasoline (10,000 gallons). The historical record suggests that there may have been one outer gasoline UST (10,000 gallons) on the Site. There are no records of the proper abandonment and soil or groundwater sampling and analysis associated with the UST abandonment and, therefore, the UST represent a REC. 8) The Howe facility operated an incinerator at the Site, specifically for what purpose is currently unknown. The incinerator emissions and generated ash, if not properly treated and/or disposed off-Site represents a REC. 9) Three production wells are shown in the records to have been located at the Site for the Howe operations. In addition, there were at least four groundwater monitoring wells constructed at the Site in response. to the 1979 fire. There are no records of the proper abandonment of any of the wells. In fact, the records show that the monitoring wells were "lost" and were not likely properly abandoned. The potential for an improperly abandoned production or monitoring well, along with the high potential for contaminated site storm water runoff and infiltration, represents a REC. DEPTDATA:Projea 13340:Rep" 3000:Ph 1 ESA Rayon umt.doo 3 Geomatrix 10) The Howe companies rented portable chemical applicators to local farms. This equipment was stored at the Site in unpaved areas. This storage is considered to be a REC due to the potential for fugitive releases of the agricultural chemicals from these portable above ground tanks. 11) The historic record shows that the Howe operations stored equipment and product on the ground prior to any pavements existing at the Site. These outside and unpaved chemical storage areas represent a REC. 12) Bulk liquid chemicals were brought to the Site in rail cars. These chemicals, mainly acids used in the fertilizer manufacturing, were transferred to on-Site above ground storage tanks via pumps and piping. The transfer of the bulk chemicals is considered a REC due to the potential for both a pump and pipe failures. 13) The historic record suggests that there were above ground storage tanks (AST) at the Site for which there is no information as to their use. These unknown AST's represent a REC. 14) The Howe operations included a number of loading docks for both truck and rail. The historical record suggests that there were known fugitive releases of the agricultural chemicals in these areas, and that fertilizers were purposely being placed on the bare soil for melting ice and this represents a REC. 15) Asbestos in soil was a concern when the main buildings at the Site were torn down in 2001. According to the contractor who performed the work, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency required the contractor to scrape and remove soil from the perimeter of the buildings in a preventative effort for potential asbestos contaminated soils. The buildings, prior to demolition were in poor condition, possibly due to the extensive acids used during production. The potential for asbestos to be contained in the surficial soils, and those soils now covered with fill, spread across a portion of the Site to maintain grades, represents a REC DEPMATA.?rgj*m 1354O:RgmU 3000:P6 I ESA:Repon tW.&c 4 Geomatrix 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report presents the results of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) for the property located at 4821 Xerxes Avenue North in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota (see Figure 1 for the location and approximate property boundaries). Geomatrix Consultants, Inc. (Geomatrix), has performed the ESA on behalf of RER Acquisitions, LLC (RER) of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The property is currently owned by United Agri Products, Inc (UAP) and RER is considering purchasing the Property for development of a commerciallindustrial building. This ESA has been conducted in general accordance with the ASTM International (ASTM) E 1527-05 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process (ASTM Standard, 2005). ASTM E 1527-05 complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) Final Rule (40 CFR 312), which was promulgated November 1, 2005 and was effective November 1, 2006. This ESA has also been conducted in general accordance with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) guidance on conducting remedial investigations (Guidance Document No. 9) for agricultural chemical sites. The objective of the ESA has been to determine the history of the, Site and it's operations to the extent that Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) can be identified and defined to support a comprehensive investigation of Site soil and groundwater, and, if found necessary, to form the basis of a comprehensive site corrective action plan for commercial/industrial development at the Site. To this end, documents relating to the Site history have been assembled and incorporated into the ESA, including many private records from United Agri Products, the current property owner and predecessor company to the Site owner and operator since prior to 1940: Howe Incorporated. 1.1 PURPOSE The purpose of the ESA is to compile and review available information about the Site and immediate vicinity to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) to the extent feasible pursuant to ASTM E 1527-05. According to the ASTM Standard, a REC is defined as: "the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, ground water, or surface water of the property. The term includes hazardous substances or petroleum products even under conditions in compliance with laws. The term is not intended to include de minimis conditions that generally do not present a DEPTDATA:Projea 13540:RepoM 3000:Pb I ESA:Report tcrLdoc 5 Geomatrix threat to public health or the environment and that generally would not be the subject of an enforcement action if brought to the attention of appropriate government agencies." I 1.2 REASON FOR PERFORMING THE ESA RER has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the Site from UAP. Before closing on the purchase agreement RER has the right to inspect the Site to determine the nature and extent of any environmental release. The Site inspection or environmental site assessment will also provide the information needed to prepare a plan of remediation, if necessary, for approval by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The ESA and any approved remediation are intended to secure for RER the liability protection afforded by the Minnesota Land Recycling Act (Minnesota Statutes 2006, ChapterI I5B.175). In addition, this ESA is intended to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser limitations on Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) liability (referred to as the landowner liability protections or LLPs). This ESA has been prepared using the ASTM Standard and constitutes "all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial or customary practice" as defined at 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) §9601(35)(B). 1.3 SCOPE OF SERVICES The scope of services for this ESA is described in the May 30, 2007 Geomatrix proposal to RER. This ESA included the following tasks: • Conducting site reconnaissance to observe and document current conditions and activities at the Site. • Conducting a visual survey of immediately adjacent parcels from the subject Site or from public streets. Interviewing the current Site owner and occupant as identified by RER. • Interviewing past owners and occupants of the Site if identified by the current owner and reasonably available. t The AAI Final Rule applies to "...conditions indicative of releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances (and) petroleum or petroleum products are excluded from the definition of hazardous substance..." (40 CRF 312.1). DEFMATAYmpa:13540:RgmM 3000J% 1 ESA:RepW tm.&c 6 Geomatrix • Interviewing a representative of a local environmental regulatory agency regarding potential environmental conditions, if applicable. • Reviewing available Site historical documents, and state, tribal and local government records on the Site dating back to the first time the Site had structures or was used for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, or governmental purposes, if readily available. • Reviewing available historical aerial photographs for the Site and vicinity. • Reviewing available Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for the Site and vicinity. • Reviewing available historical topographic maps for the Site and vicinity. • Obtaining a regulatory database search report to identify reported on-site and off- site chemical releases that may affect soil or groundwater conditions at the Site. • Reviewing selected agency files identified in the regulatory database search report to obtain current status of environmental assessments and/or remediation at the Site and nearby properties. • Reviewing environmental documents related to the Site if provided by RER. • Evaluating the data and identifying data gaps, open issues, and key uncertainties. • Preparing a report documenting these activities and identified recognized environmental conditions, including our opinions on the significance of the data gaps insofar as they impact the ability to identify possible contamination. 1.4 EXCLUSIONS This ESA did not include the collection and chemical analysis of samples of soil, water, or air; or an evaluation of seismic characteristics at the Site. In addition, according to the ASTM Standard, the following issues are not part of the scope of a Phase I ESA: • Asbestos-containing building materials • Radon • Lead-based paint • Lead in drinking water • Cultural and historic • Wetlands • Industrial hygiene • Regulatory compliance • Health and safety resources • Ecological resources • Endangered species • . Indoor air quality DEPTDATAYmjax:13340:RaporU 3000:Ph I ESA:RepM tw.dx 7 Geomatrix • Biological agents • Mold Some of these issues may be addressed in another scope of work, separate from this ESA. 1.5 SIGNIFICANT ASSUMPTIONS Based on records that were reviewed as part of this ESA, groundwater now direction in the vicinity of the Site is assumed to be dominantly from the west to the east. Geomatrix did not measure groundwater elevations at the Site during this Phase I ESA to confirm groundwater flow direction(s) or gradients at the subject property. 1.6 LIMITATIONS Reliance on Information Provided by Others In preparing this report, Geomatrix has relied upon information provided by others in the evaluation of environmental site conditions reported herein. Geomatrix did not attempt to independently verify the accuracy or completeness of that information. To the extent that the opinions and conclusions in this report are based in whole or in part on such information, those conclusions are contingent on its accuracy and validity. Geomatrix assumes no responsibility for any consequence arising from any information or condition that was concealed, withheld, misrepresented, or otherwise not fully disclosed or available to Geomatrix. This report does not constitute legal advice. In addition, Geomatrix makes no determination or recommendations regarding the decision to purchase, sell, or provide financing for the Site. Time Constraint RER required a final ESA report by July 9, 2007 to meet its transaction deadlines. , The opinions and conclusions presented in this report are based on the site conditions observed and information reviewed at the time of this assessment. Information pertaining to site conditions or changes may exist that Geomatrix is not aware of or which we have not had the opportunity to evaluate within the time available for this ESA. Uncertainty Not Eliminated As per the ASTM Standard, no ESA can wholly eliminate uncertainty regarding the potential for RECs in connection with a property. The use of the ASTM Standard is intended to reduce, but not eliminate, this uncertainty. Within the limitations of the agreed-upon scope of work and the ASTM Standard, Geomatrix has conducted this ESA in a professional manner in accordance with generally accepted DEMATA:Yrojeml3540:RoWu 3000:Ph I ESA:RepW tM.doe 8 Geomatrix practices, using the degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by environmental consultants under similar circumstances. Due to physical limitations inherent to this or any environmental assessment, Geomatrix does not warrant that the Site is free of pollutants or that all pollutants have been identified. As such, no absolute determination of environmental risks can be made. No other warranties, expressed or implied, are made. 1.7 USER RELIANCE This ESA report has been prepared by Geomatrix for the express use of RER. No other parties shall rely on this report without the written consent from Geomatrix and RER. RER may release this report to third parties; however, such third party in using this report agrees that it shall have no legal recourse against Geomatrix, its parent, or subsidiaries. 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION The characteristics and uses of the Property and vicinity are described in the following sections. 2.1 LOCATION AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION The Site is located in the southern portion of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and encompasses approximately 5 acres. A small section of the Site, along the eastern property boundary actually is located within the City of Minneapolis. Additional property to the west and south, is owned by the adjacent railroad (CP Rail) and was reportably leased and used by the original owner and operator of the Site, Howe Incorporated A current legal description has been prepared by a Registered Land Surveyor, under contract with RER, and a copy of the ALTA level Survey is included as Appendix A. Historical Site surveys were reviewed in the course of this ESA and those historical surveys are generally consistent with the more recent survey in so far as property boundaries are concerned. Property boundaries for the Site did change over the years as adjacent land was bought or sold by the Site owner, who for many years was Howe Inc. Copies of some of those historical surveys were reviewed and are discussed .below and included herein. 2.2 SITE AND VICINITY GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS The general Site setting and the geology and hydrogeology in the vicinity of the Site are summarized in the following paragraphs. DEPTDATA:Proj*a:13S40:RepwW 3000:Pb I ESA:Rspm tca.doc 9 Geomatrix 2.2.1 General Site Setting The Site is generally level, with a slight slope from north to south. There exists approximately 10 feet of relief across the Site, although there may have been some more relief in the past: some filling of Ryan Creek near the southern property boundary occurred in the past. There are three existing buildings on the Site, remnants of the former Site operations as an agricultural chemical manufacturer and distributor. The three existing buildings and Site setting are generally shown on the recent Site survey. Recent (current) photographs of the Site are included as Appendix B. The Site is currently covered by the buildings, some pavement and scrub grass and weeds where there are no buildings or pavement as shown on the Site Survey in Appendix A. The areas of the Site bordering 49* Avenue on the north and County Highway 152 (Osseo Road) on the east are landscaped with irrigated lawns and shrubs/trees. 2.2.2 Geology and Hydrogeology The Site is located at an approximate average elevation of 860 + 5 feet above mean sea level (msl) based on the Minneapolis North USGS 7.5 minute topographic map and on the recent Site survey. Ryan Lake is located south of the Site and across the east-west trending CP Rail railroad tracks, at an elevation of 851 feet msl based on the topographic map. Surface water flow from the Site is to the south toward Ryan Lake. Surface water enters a storm water piping system that directs storm water to the east of the Site and beneath the Highway 152 overpass. Historically, surface water flow from the Site would have been to Ryan Creek, located on the south side of the Site. A layer of silty sand to sandy loam textured topsoil/fill, approximately 4 to 6 feet thick is likely to be the predominant surficial unit at the Site although there are miscellaneous fills overlying peats near the southeast comer of the Site in the area where the Ryan Creek bed was filled. In isolated areas a finer grained silty soil fill containing organics/debris may be encountered. The fill that underlies the top soil is anticipated to be variable, both physically and chemically. There may be a considerable amount of miscellaneous debris within the fill. Native soils beneath the fill and top soil consist of a fine to medium sand grading to coarse sand and gravels that are at least 20 feet thick at the Site but are reported to be more on the order of 40 to 70 feet thick The uppermost bedrock unit underlying the glacial drift materials is reportedly the St. Peter Sandstone which in the region averages 150 feet thick. Five (5) soil DMIMATA:Projea 1354O:Rep" 3M:Pb 1 ESA:Repw ten.&c 10 Geomatrix boring logs, developed in 1979, are included in the discussion of Site Historical Documents, Section 4.3 below. Groundwater has been encountered at the Site in the native sand and gravel deposit Groundwater elevations are anticipated to range from 840 to 845 ft NGVD (approximately 15 to 25 feet below ground surface) and flow is anticipated to be from approximately west to east at a gradient of approximately 0.25% or less. Site specific information on depth-to- groundwater and groundwater flow direction was developed in the early 1980's in response to a release of agricultural chemicals at the Site (discussed further below).. Ryan Lake is located to the south of the Site, across the adjacent railroad tracks. Ryan Lake discharges to Ryan Creek through a large concrete culvert constructed at the Site in 1972. Storm water from the Site enters this culvert through two catch basins, one near the southwest comer of the Site and one near the southeast corner of the Site. 2.3 CURRENT USE OF THE SITE AND ADJOINING PARCELS The three existing buildings located on the Site are currently vacant. Access to the Site is unrestricted and is generally either from 49* Street on the north or from the CP Rail line access road along the southern boundary of the Site. The Site is bordered by a residential neighborhood on the north, northwest, northeast and west which has existed since the 1950's. Ryan Lake is south of the adjacent railroad tracks as noted above and the properties on the west side of Ryan Lake are commercial/industrial. The site is bordered by the built-up overpass of Highway 152 (Osseo Road) on the east and a newly constructed office/warehouse east of Highway 152 on what was undeveloped property owned by the adjacent CP Rail. 3.0 INFORMATION PROVIDED BY USER The information about the Site provided by RER is described in the following sections. 3.1 TITLE RECORDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LIENS OR ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATIONS According to Ms. Jenny Hanson of RER Acquisitions LLC (RER), RER understands that there are no environmental liens or activity and use limitations of the Site. RER commissioned a title report and provided the report to Geomatrix. The Title report did not indicate any environmental liens or activity and use limitations for the Site. A copy of the Title information provided to Geomatrix is included as Appendix C. DEPTDATA:Projeat:235Q:ReWu 3WO:Ph I ESA:Report tnt.dw 11 Geomatrix 3.2 VALUATION REDUCTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RER has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the Site from UAP. There has been no property valuation reduction for environmental issues. 3.3 OTHER RER provided records to Geomatrix obtained from UAP. These documents have been used to develop and augment the history of the Site and are included within the appendices of this report. The records include historical maps of the Site, correspondence pertaining to a major fire at the Site in 1979, applications and correspondence regarding Site expansions and other on-going issues at the Site from 1946 until approximately the mid 1980's. Additional records were obtained from UAP and these are also included herein and discussed within Section 4 below. 4.0 RECORDS REVIEW The records reviewed for this ESA included standard environmental databases, readily- available historical information from the current Site owners, documents available from the City of Brooklyn Center and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (regarding the Site as a result of a release of agricultural chemicals 28 years ago) and documents provided by RER The information from the review of these documents is described in the following sections. 4.1 STANDARD ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD SOURCES Geomatrix retained Environmental Data Resources (EDR) to search federal, state, and tribal environmental regulatory databases to identify properties located within 1 mile of the Site (ASTM, 2005) with documented environmental releases and/or those sitestproperties that use, store, or dispose of regulated chemicals. The radii of the database searches corresponded to the recommended radii in the ASTM Standard (ASTM, 2005). A list of the regulatory databases searched and the results are presented in the EDR report, dated June 6, 2007 which is provided as Appendix D. A description of the ASTM databases and descriptions of the ASTM supplemental databases that were searched are included in the EDR report. The information provided by EDR is limited to what has been reported or registered in each database. This information was used to evaluate whether these properties could potentially affect soil or groundwater beneath the site. The EDR report identified information about the Site and some information about some additional sites within the search radius. A summary discussion of the findings is presented DEMATA:Proj=W.13340:Rgwu 3000:PL I ESA:Pgmxl Umtdw 12 Geomatrix below. A more detailed listing of the information identified is contained within the EDR report The EDR report includes a map of the search results, i.e., a map showing the approximate locations of the sites identified. Only those EDR report results for on-Site and those sites identified as being in the assumed hydraulically upgradient direction (to the west) are discussed below. 4.1.1 On-Site The Site 'is identified in the EDR report for the following reasons: 1) The Site shows up on the State of Minnesota list of un-permitted dumps. No further Site-specific information is provided about this listing. This report may have been associated with off-Site dumping of solid waste materials west of the Site and along the adjacent CP rail lines as there is no other information, generated during the course of this ESA that refers to or suggests dumping on the Site. Historic photographs show an access road leading from the Site, many years ago and continuing for many years, to the west off-Site and along the railroad tracks. This off-Site area is now essentially fully developed. 2) A retail gasoline station, and possibly a bulk petroleum distributor, operated at the Site from approximately 1946 until 1970. The company changed names, and presumably owners, over the years and this information shows up for the Site as a result of it being on a list of Historical Auto Stations. This information is validated from other sources described below. 3) The Site is listed as having a 9500 gallon above ground storage tank for Sulfuric Acid. Other information about the Site validates that the Site did use Sulfuric Acid in the manufacture of agricultural fertilizers. 4) The Site is listed as having three underground storage tanks (UST): for gasoline, fuel oil and diesel fuel. The EDR report indicates that the UST were removed from the Site in 1995. No other information about the UST removal was provided. 5) The Site, listed as Midwest Agricultural Warehouse Company, dba UAP Midwest at 4821 Xerxes Avenue North, is listed as having a release of 1 quart of unknown liquid in 1996. No other information is provided. 6) The Site is listed as a small quantity generator (EPA ID number MND006253538) of hazardous waste (the threshold for listing as a small quantity generator is less than 2200 pounds per month) and no violations were noted. No other information was reported. This is DMYrDATAYrojea:13540:Reporu 30DO:P6 I ESA.Report tod.doe 13 Geomatrix consistent with other information, discussed below, that shows that the Site, in the late 1980's, through the early 2001 was generating small amounts of waste vehicle batteries, parts-cleaning Stoddard solvent, waste crank-case oil from truck maintenance and paints and paint thinners. 4.1.2 Off-Site Where are a number of sites located generally to the west of the Site that were identified in the EDR report that have the potential to have impacted groundwater that generally flows from west to east in the vicinity of the Site. No specific information was available in the EDR report that suggests that groundwater has been impacted and Ryan Lake, which is shallow and generally a marsh on the west and north sides, separates these sites from the Site. The sites located to the west that were, or are, petroleum release sites are all located approximately mile to the west and, therefore, based on the distance and the fact that aU of the sites obtained regulatory closure, these sites have a low potential for impacting the groundwater at the Site. There are two additional sites located to the west that also have the potential for impacting groundwater at the Site, the Macro Scientific Inc./Standard Solvents site and the Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Company site. The Macro Scientific Inc./Standard Solvents Co. site was a Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) site under the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and is listed as no further remedial action planned (NFRA). No information is provided that suggests if any remedial action had been performed and if so, for what purpose. No additional information on the MPCA data base was available that suggests that there was a release at this site; it is possible that the site is listed because a voluntary party had contracted with the MPCA for technical assistance associated with the sale, purchase or financing of the site. The Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Company site is a former National Priorities List (NPL) and State of Minnesota Permanent list of Priorities (PLP) site that was a wood treating site with known releases of fuel oil, pentachlorophenol and other wood treating formulations to soil, surface water and groundwater at the site. While the majority of the site has been de-listed from the Federal and State lists and the majority of the site has been completely redeveloped, an on-going groundwater remediation system is in place that pumps groundwater, contaminated with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAI) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), and discharges the impacted groundwater to the local POTW. Creosote product is pumped from below-ground DEFMATA:PmjM:13540:RVorb 3000:Pb I ESA:Repw Uxt.&c 14 Geomatrix and disposed off-site. An investigation of soil and sediments of a wetland area, bordering upper Twin Lake, apparently is still in progress. Groundwater monitoring of the site, as recent as 2005 showed that contaminated groundwater is contained on-site. Historically, groundwater downgradient of the Joslyn site, to a point just west of the subject Site, had been contaminated with PAH and PCP. The Joslyn response actions did not include active remedial action to address these off-site impacts down-gradient of the Joslyn site. 4.1.3 Orphan Sites EDR provided a list of Orphan properties that could not be located by EDR due to incomplete address information of these properties. Geomatrix reviewed the information provided in the EDR report to assess whether these sites suggest a potential release and/or impact to soil and/or groundwater at the Site. Based on the Orphan site names and limited information provided on the list included in the EDR report, these Orphan properties do not appear to be located in proximity to the Site and are unlikely to have impacted soil and groundwater at the Site. 4.2 ADDITIONAL RECORDS REVIEW In addition to the regulatory agency file review, Geomatrix obtained and has reviewed Site historical information provided by the City of Brooklyn Center, UAP and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. This information includes historic and current information on the operations of the Site dating back to prior to 1940. Copies of certain parts of this information are included as Appendices referenced below. 4.2.1 City of Brooklyn Center Information The City of Brooklyn Center provided information on Permits that have been taken out at the City for permit required work at the Site since 1955 and historic and current buried city- supplied utilities design drawings (storm and sanitary sewer and water supply). This information is included as Appendix E. Review of this information provides some information as to certain activities and historical operations at the Site. A permit was issued in 1955 for Sewer work and the 1964 utility drawings suggest that the Site, both the early Howe operations and the early Texaco gas station, did not have City supplied water or sanitary sewer service. If that is the case, early operations dating to at least 1940 would have likely included water supply well(s) and a septic tank and related drain field, possibly for both Howe and Texaco. A third building, Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company was also located at the Site and also would have required water and sewer service. DEPTDATA:ProjeM13540:RepwU 3000:Ph I ESA:Rgmn textdw 15 Geomatrix The permit records suggest that a well was installed in 1958; prior water supply is not listed. An incinerator was installed at Howe in 1970. A fire destroyed one of the Site buildings in 1979 and this building was removed at that time. A permit for Fuel/Bulk storage was issued in 1981 and then again one year later in 1982. A permit to remove fuel tanks was issued in 1995. 4.2.2 Howe Incorporated Information A discussed above, a large amount of historical files was obtained from both RER and from UAP that pertains to the Howe operations at the Site. Generally this information covers the time period from 1930 until the late 1980's. Some of the material was of general interest to the history of the Site, other information is more specific to the operations and the potential for those operations to lead to recognized environmental conditions. A number of these documents have been reproduced and are included as Appendix F, Site Selected Historical Documents. These documents are used herein to describe the history and use of the Site as it pertains to the identification of recognized environmental conditions. 4.Z.Z.1 General History and Site Operations Correspondence, surveys, construction cost estimates, Site capital expense tables, Howe Company literature, Site photographs, building inventories, descriptions of the Site operations, Site history chronologies, transcripts of legal proceedings, Howe company process schematics and drawings of the Site, dating back to 1930 and up through the late 1980's were obtained from UAP files that were located in the basement of the Office building on-Site. These materials provide a wide ranging description of the use of the Site: first as a rural facility for storing and shipping locally grown and harvested potatoes, to an agricultural chemical manufacturer and distributor of fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides located in an predominantly farming area that became partially a residential area. The Site and surrounding areas was apparently originally owned by the Howe family and may have been farmed for potatoes. At some time in the 1920's, the Site was used for the collection of locally grown potatoes and a storage building was constructed, the "Potato Shed". This structure was used at the Site until it was demolished in 1981. The Potato Shed was a storage facility and apparently a railroad siding used for loading out potatoes. The rail lines currently adjacent to the south of the Site had been constructed sometime around or before 1900. A rail spur with a scale was located at the end of the partially existing south spur, near the southeast corner of the current Site. The scale was located on property owned by the Owen Wood Company who apparently first owned the gasoline station on the Site which DEMATATrojae 13540:RapmU 3000:% 1 ESA:Rmpm UWAw 16 ~i- Geomatrix later became a series of Texaco retail petroleum stations. During that same time period a building was located on what is now the very north edge of the Site which is later identified as the Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company. This facility may have originally been called the Sipe and Grey Oil Company. The information shows that Ryan Creek has been, at least since approximately 1900, essentially in the same alignment along the south side of the Site as it is today although the creek did not run through a culvert until 1972 when Osseo Road was raised to cross the east-west trending rail lines. In 1946 Howe constructed a building at the Site which became the "Middle Building". A building permit from 1946, submitted to the USA Civilian Production Administration, apparently as a result of, or in response to, the World War II, states that Howe had been manufacturing fertilizer at the Site since 1941. The construction was for the stated purpose of "...furnishing storage and additional manufacturing facilities for farm fertilizers and insecticides." Review of the drawings shows that Howe eventually constructed 5 separate buildings at the Site and the former Texaco station and Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company buildings were removed. The buildings all had additions constructed and the Site property boundaries changed as adjacent property (to the Howe operations) was bought or sold. The majority of the buildings were located together and have been labeled by Howe as the North, Middle and South buildings. It is the North building that burned in 1979 and was eventually replaced by the current building on the north side of the Site. A Capital Expense document within the. files shows that the Site was paved in 1978. It is assumed that prior to 1978 outside storage areas at the Site were bare soil. All of the buildings were apparently slab on grade construction although some parts of the buildings may have had bare soil or wood floors. In addition, there was some below-grade structures associated with the Site operations of unloading and transferring raw or produced products. Additional materials show that Howe was manufacturing fertilizers utilizing corrosive acids and, therefore, were looking for information on coatings for the building to mange the corrosive conditions of the manufacturing operations. The building that was contemplated for DEMATA:Project:13540:RcWU 3000:Ph I ESA.Repw text &c 17 Geomatrix construction in 1946 was to be made of galvanized metal, but it was thought that the zinc in the galvanized metals would not be resistive to the acids to be used. Another document that is included in Appendix F is a Sales Brochure for Spencer Chemical Company, Kansas City, Kansas. This brochure uses Howe Inc. as a testimony for the Spensor products. The Brochure suggests that Howe began operations in 1940 and that in addition to manufacturing fertilizers; Howe also formulated and distributed insecticides and fungicides. The definition of "formulation" at that time is not known and later information from a 1980 legal proceeding of a law suit, that grew out of the 1979 Site fire, shows that Mr. Howe stated that "formulation" meant describing the mixture of an end product (such as designing) but did not necessarily mean "manufacturing" as in mixing or blending. Additional materials included in Appendix F describe the overall processes that occurred at the Site during the Howe Inc. operations. In 1970, the facility was described as "a complete ammonization and granulation plant with continuous operation". The capacity for production was 25 tons per hour. The storage capacity was 10,000 tons of raw material and 15,000 tons of finished product for a yearly capacity of up to 60,000 tons. Approximately 30% of the yearly production was bulk versus 70% bagged fertilizer. At that time the raw product for the operations was brought to the Site by truck. The facility was also importing liquid nitrogen by rail car and storing the liquids in above ground storage tanks located at the southeast comer of the facility (this area is not part of the Site surveyed property). Depositions (referenced above) describe the operations further. In 1980, Mr. Howe stated that the Site does not manufacture pesticides. Appendix F contains a schematic drawing of the Site operations. The drawing is not dated but is sometime prior to the 1979 fire. This drawing shows a number of items at the Site that are potential RECs. They include a below-grade truck scale that may have an oil reservoir below- ground, a gas/oil steam boiler that required a fuel source, a gas/oil kiln furnace that required a fuel source, an acid storage above ground tank, rail siding and below-ground elevator pit, truck and rail loading/unloading docks and bulk material storage. Other drawings contained'in Appendix F show the locations of underground petroleum storage tanks, potential above ground petroleum storage tanks, outside storage areas, water wells, the on-Site incinerator, a dry well catch basin and loading/unloading areas. An early survey shows the layout of the Texaco station and the additions added to the Minneapolis Sewing machine Company building. These features have been transferred to Figure 2 which is titled Site plan DEPTDATA:Project:13540:RgnU 3000:Pb I ESA.Rgmn tW.&c 18 Geomatrix and Areas of Concern Map. The Site Survey of Appendix A was used as the base map for this drawing. Historic Site features have been scaled from earlier drawings and located on the Site Survey. 4.2.2.2 1979 Howe Chemical Fire The North Building (see Figure 2) burned on January 6, 1979. Geomatrix has reviewed the Site files pertaining to the fire and has reviewed the files available from the MDA to determine the specifics of the chemicals that were potentially released and those detected at the Site. This fire and the response was the subject of a massive response by local, state and federal agencies. The pesticides that were stored in the warehouse were the property of both Howe and Ciba- Geigy, the manufacturer of AAtrex (atrazine). Based upon information in several inventory lists, 80 tons of active ingredients from approximately 100 different pesticide products were reportedly stored in the warehouse. According to an affidavit of Russell Felt of the MPCA, "about one-half of the active ingredients, or about 20,000 gallons, was atrazine, a pesticide manufactured by Ciba-Geigy and marketed under the name Aatrex 4L. The next most abundant active ingredient was alachlor, an organic herbicide found in the commercial product Lasso. There were also significant amounts of pesticides in the building, [which] are sold under the trade names of Furadan, Thimet, Lorsban, and Dyfonate". As a result of the fire,. and subsequent fire-fighting operations, pesticides were released to air, surface water, groundwater, mineral soils on- and off-site and sediments in the bed of Ryan Creek (located east of Osseo Road. Pesticides were also detected in the debris from the burned-out warehouse on the Howe property. Soil and liquids (including ice) from the fire were hauled off-Site for treatment and the information on this effort, to determine the fate of the chemicals off-Site and how that may define potential existing chemical impacts at the Site have also been reviewed. Copies of pertinent information about the 1979 fire and a written summary review of the MDA files are included as Appendix G. This information shows that a large amount of the Site products burned in the fire and were released to the Site soil and groundwater. Boring logs from Site investigative activities are included in Appendix G and show the general soil profile of shallow soils at the Site. 4.2.2.3 Site Aboveground and Underground Storage Tanks Documents that show or suggest USTs or ASTs at the Site are included as Appendix H. It is known that a retail petroleum station (Texaco) operated at the Site from approximately 1946 until 1970. This facility may have also distributed bulk petroleum product from aboveground tanks as shown on some of the documents of Appendix F. There were no records available that DEPTDATA:Projed:13540:RepmU 3000:Ph 1 ESA:Report uzt.dw 19 Geomatrix showed that the former USTs, from that station, were abandoned or whether there were releases from those UST or the ASTs that are assumed to have been associated with the Texaco station. The Howe facility had three known petroleum UST and the records suggest that a fourth UST was also located at the Site. The locations of the UST are shown in the documents of Appendix H. Photographs and early drawings of the Site also show that petroleum (gasoline and diesel) was being dispensed from the Site. Records suggest that the dispensing was for Howe owned vehicles. There is no information about the Howe UST abandonment, other than the City permit for abandonment and the EDR report that shows that the MPCA is aware that three USTs were abandoned. Howe records suggest that secondary containment for at least one AST was constructed in 1979. Photographs of the Site show an AST along the southem-most rail spur with no secondary containment 4.2.2.4 Site Historical Photographs Some historical Site photographs were obtained in the search of files and they are included as Appendix I. These photos show that the Site buildings historically had transite (asbestos) siding (verified by the demolition permits pulled by UAP in 2001), had no pavement for many years for some of the Site operations, were storing miscellaneous materials outdoors and on bare soil, and that fertilizer applicators (approximately 1000 gallon capacity each) were also being stored outdoors. These photographs also show an area of storm water run-off leading south and east from the Site buildings, generally in the same manner for existing rainfall run- off. The photographs show concrete floors in poor condition and generally poor house-keeping practices in some areas of the Site. These photographs provide a view of the original Howe Inc. buildings that were removed in 2001. One photo, although poor quality shows the Site in what is estimated to be the late 1950's. 4.2.2.5 Chemical Inventory Records Inventory records of the Howe operations were found in the files, some of which were collected just a few days prior to the 1979 fire. The inventory records that were reviewed are included in Appendix J. These records show the range of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides that were manufactured and/or sold at the Site. These records do not cover all years of the Howe operations nor do they cover a period after Howe was sold to Con Agra which later DEPTDATA:Project:13540:ReporU 3000:P6 I ESkReport text.de 20 Geomatrix became UAP. UAP was not able to provide an inventory for products that were distributed from the Site during the period from the mid 1980s until recently when all operations were stopped at the facility. 4.2.2.6 Site Waste Generation and Operational Permits Based on the materials reviewed, the facility had an SIC Code of 2875 -Fertilizers, Mixing Only. As state above, the Site was, starting in approximately 1981, a small quantity generator of hazardous waste. Hennepin County administers hazardous waste generation and copies of some of the inspection reports from that program are included as Appendix K. These reports show that in 2001 the name of the Site was changed from Howe Company to United Horticultural Supply but suggest that the ownership did not change. In 1987 the facility was known as Cropmate, dba The Howe Company. The materials suggest that all manufacturing at the Site stopped in 1994 and since that time the Site was used only for distribution. Mr. Dave Jenkins (interviewed as discussed below) was the contact person for environmental maters in 2001. The records show that in 1987 the Site was generating parts cleaning Stoddard solvent, waste crank-case oil and waste truck batteries. The documents suggest that waste batteries were not being stored properly at that time. Also at this time the facility was generating waste paint and paint thinners. The records show that a company named Cropmate, dba The Howe Co., was operating at the Site in 1987. According to Mr. Jenkins (see below) another company, QTruax was also located at the facility and was manufacturing seed application equipment in what is currently the northern most building at the site. The permit materials in Appendix K suggest that these operations were generating waste batteries (containing sulfuric acid and lead). This facility may have also been generating wash water from truck washing that was identified by the Hennepin County inspectors. The City of Brooklyn Center was also inspecting the Howe operations prior to Hennepin County involvement. Letters from the City to Howe, from as early as 1979, show that the storage of ammonium nitrate and sulfuric acid required modification due to no secondary containment for the sulfuric acid and the need for storage of the ammonium nitrate on other than a wooden floor. DEMATA:Project:13340:RgWs 3000:P6 I ESA:Rcport tmt.&c 21 Geomatrix 4.3 HISTORICAL INFORMATION The following sources of information were obtained and used to compile historical information about the site: • aerial photographs dated 1945, 1950, 19519 1956,1958, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1971,. 1979, 1989, and 2000; • topographic maps dated 1902, 1952, 1955, 1967, 1972, 1980 and 1993; • Sanborn maps are not available for the subject Site. Geomatrix searched the Seattle Public Library for these records and had EDR search their library for the same; and • City directory abstracts for the period of 1920 through 2005 were searched in 5 year intervals. Aerial photographs are presented in Appendix L; topographic maps are presented in Appendix M; and city directory abstracts are presented in Appendix N. 4.3.1 Historical Aerial Photographs Geomatrix reviewed 12 historical aerial photographs of the Site and vicinity from 1945 until 2000. A summary of the information observed for the Site and surrounding areas is presented below. Copies of the aerial photographs are presented in Appendix L and the original full scale photographs are included in the Geomatrix permanent file for this ESA. 1945 - This photograph shows the Site initial operations, including the two rail spurs, the Potato warehouse/loading dock and an additional building adjacent to the southern-most rail spur. What may be the scale house, located at the termination of the southern rail spur, is evident. The Texaco site is shown and what may be above ground petroleum storage tanks are shown located south of the Texaco station. The building, now gone, that on some documents is listed as the Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company is shown on the north side of the Site. There are no pavements evident. Ryan Lake shows to the south and Ryan Creek is shown on both sides of the main rail line that trends east-west. Ryan Creek appears as a marshy area to the south of the Site and north of the rail line. Osseo road is shown as a two-lane, likely dirt road to the east of the Site. There are no homes evident. Most of the property to the west, north and east appear tilled. 1950 - The Site has now expanded such that the Middle building has been constructed and the Texaco station has been added onto. The two rail spurs are evident. The ASTs south of the Texaco station may still be there. A house has been constructed on the Site, approximately DEPTDATA:Projed:I3340:RapoM 3000A 1 ESA:RepW ux AM 22 Geomatrix where the current most northerly building is located (other records suggest that the Howe's constructed this house). There appears to be soil disturbance generally across the Site. Additional residential construction is evident to the west, north and northeast of the Site. Ryan Creek appears as it did in 1945. 1951 - This photograph is much clearer than the 1950 photograph. Ryan Lake is evident. No apparent flow in Ryan Creek. The two rail spurs appear in use. There appears to be some outside storage where the south building is not yet constructed. No pavement is evident on the Site. The Texaco station and the Minneapolis Sewing machine Company building are in use. There is storage outside of the north side of the Texaco station. No AST's are evident. The majority of what were tilled fields now seem to be residential homes to the west, north and northeast. 1956 - There has been major building construction since the 1951 photograph. The north building has been constructed (that will eventually bum) and the south building has been constructed. The Potato building has now been moved to a point north of the northern-most rail- spur. The current Office building has now been constructed. Both spurs are in use. The outside storage areas on the west of the buildings has now moved further west due to the building construction. The Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company building has been added onto and the Texaco station may have been re-built or modified as the roof lines are different since 1951. There are now ASTs along the eastern limit of the southern rail spur. Additional residential homes have been constructed to the north and west of the Site. Ryan Lake and Ryan creek are both evident and the creek. appears to have water in it: 1958 - This photograph is similar to 1956 although the north building has been added onto along its eastern side. The Truck Scale on the east side of the Office building is now evident. Both rail spurs are active. There appears to be piles of material, possibly soil located to the west of the south building and south of the northern-most rail spur. Ryan Lake is evident and there does not appear to be water in Ryan Creek. 1960 - This photograph is similar to the 1958 photograph although there has now been a western extension of the south building. The ASTs evident in the 1956 and 1958 photographs, near the southeast corner of the Site, are still there. Both rail spurs are active. There is no pavement evident at the Site except near the Texaco station and just to the west of the middle building. The on-Site dispensing pumps from the USTs are suggested near the office and on the east end of the north building. Outside storage and soil disturbance appears to the west of DEPTDATA:Ptojeet 13340:Rep" 30001% 1 ESAAVort tect.&c 23 Geomatrix the south building. The Fertilizer Applicators, that were apparently rented to customers, are shown stored to the west of the middle and north buildings. The area immediately behind the Texaco station shows outside storage of materials, including tires. There is some more residential development to the north, west and northeast of the Site. 1965 - This photograph shows that the middle building has been expanded to the west. Both rail spurs are active although there now appears more over-the-road truck use at the Site. Surface water run-off, towards the southeast comer of the Site is suggested by the photograph. There has been an addition to the Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company building, which addition will end up being located on-Site after the re-alignment of 49* street. Outside storage and soil disturbance appears west of the south building and west of the Texaco station as with previous photographs. The residential neighborhoods appear mostly fully developed to the north. The CP Rail property to the east, across Osseo Road is still undeveloped. Ryan creek is still an open depression south of the Site but no waxer appears in this photograph. 1968 - This photograph is at a larger scale than the previous photographs. There is not much detail to be derived regarding the Site buildings, processes and use. This photograph does show the Site in relationship to the surrounding properties that were identified in the EDR Report. The most significant off-Site site, that may have effected the groundwater at the subject Site, is the Joslyn site located essentially straight west of the Site. There are also now commercial/industrial developments shown just to the west-southwest of the Site, on the west side of Ryan Lake. 1971 - This photograph shows that the Texaco station is now gone, along with the miscellaneous storage located west of that building. There are also no ASTs located along the southern rail spur at the southeast corner of the facility. Both rail spurs are active, however. Ryan Lake is evident and bulk storage of solids is occurring just to the west of Ryan Lake. The Office building at the Site now appears to have been expanded. 1979 - This photograph shows that the north building is now gone as it was taken approximately 11 months after the January 1979 Fire. The Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company building is also gone. The two rail spurs appear active. There is now additional AST storage at the southeast comer of the Site, along the southern rail spur. A temporary building is located just to the east of the middle building that was constructed in response to the Fire. This photograph now shows that Osseo Road has been elevated (this was constructed in 1972) above DEPTDATA:Projax:13540:Rep" 30DO:Ph I UkRepw tezt.doo 24 Geomatrix the adjacent rail lines and that Ryan Creek now longer is evident at the ground surface at the Site. The house that was located to the north of the north building is also now absent. 1989 - This photograph now shows that a new north building has been constructed. The ASTs at the southeast comer are evident. The rail spurs are active. There is outside storage occurring to the west of the south building, including fertilizer applicators and large piles of possibly soil or raw product for production. Ryan Lake is evident but Ryan Creek is not. Truck traffic is evident at the loading docks. 2000 - This photograph shows that the two rail spurs partially exist but that the use of them may not be for the Site operations. The AST's along the southern rail spur appear absent although what appears as secondary containment for those AST's is evident. The Sulfuric Acid AST appears to be located outside the west end of the middle building. Outside storage of materials is evident west of the middle and south buildings as well as west of the new north building. There may be pavements over the majority of the Site. 4.3.2 Historical Topographic Maps Topographic maps were obtained from EDR for the years 1902, 1952, 1955, 1967, 1972, 1980 and 1993. A description of the observations from the topographic map review is presented below. The topographic map scales ranged from 7.5 minute to 15 minute maps. Copies of the topographic maps are included in Appendix M. 1902 - This map shows that the east-west trending rail lines (Sault STE. Marie company) were located south of the Site by 1902. The Site is shown both north of the tracks and north of Ryan Lake and Ryan Creek. No wetlands are shown on the Site and no buildings are indicated. Osseo Road is shown and what may be residential development to the northeast of the Site. 1952 - This map suggests that the middle and south buildings are located on-Site as well as a building in the location either of the Texaco station or the Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company building. Ryan Creek shows as a small depression near the southeast comer of the Site. The Joslyn site is evident to the west. 1955 - This map scale is too great to see much detail at the Site but the middle and south building are evident. 1967 - The south, middle and north buildings appear as one large building on this map. Ryan Lake and Ryan Creek appear located as with other documents reviewed herein. The Texaco DMrMATAProjeet13540:Repom 30DO:P61 ESA:RepW t=L&c 25 Geomatrix station and the Minneapolis Sewing Machine Company building appear only as one on this map. Additional industrial development appears to the west of Ryan Lake. ! 972 -No significant change from 1967. 1980 - No significant change from 1972. 1993 - No significant change from 1980. 4.3.3 Historical Sanborn Maps No Sanborn Maps were available for the Site. 4.3.4 City Directory Abstracts Geomatrix reviewed a historical city directory abstract for the Site (4821 Xerxes Ave. N.) and surrounding area obtained from EDR. A summary of listings for the period of 1902 until 2005, were provided in the abstract. The city directory abstract is included as Appendix N of this report. No references to the Site are made until 1950 when Howe Inc. Fertilizer Mfrs at 4821 Xerxes Ave. N is given. This listing stays the same until 1966 when the name is given as Howe Inc. Fertilizer Whol.& Ret; in 1970 it is Howe Inc. Fertilizer Whol; in 1971 it is Howe Inc. Fertilizer Mfrs; in 1975 it is back to Howe Inc. Fertilizer Whol. And Ret. In 1976 through 1988 the name is Howe Inc. Fertilizer Mfrs. In 1999 the listing is given as ConAgra Meat Packing Plants, Howe Company The Agrichtrl Chem and QTruax Roger, all at 4821 Xerxes Ave. N. In 2005 the Site listing is as United Horticultural Supply and Vertdicon Inc. For other potential on-Site and off-Site addresses, the first listing is for Owen Wood Co. Oils at 4861 Osseo Road in 1946. In 1950 R&V Texaco is listed at 4861 Osseo Road along with Darmen Randell V. In 1955 the 4861 Osseo Road address is listed as Randys Texaco and 4865 Osseo Road is now listed with the name Mpls Sewing Machine Inc. In 1957 Howe Inc. Fertilizers is listed at 4831 N. Xerxes Ave. In 1960 the Texaco station has changed name to Bud & Frans at 4861 Osseo Road. In 1962 it is listed as Buds Texaco and Minneapolis Sewing Machine at 4865 Osseo Road. In 1970, the 4865 Osseo Road address lists Marble Fibre Glass/Mid America Mfg Cultured as the occupant. In 1975 Soo Line Railroad is listed at 4820 Osseo Road. DEPTDATA:ProjW:13540:PWru 3000:P6 I ESA.Repon mxL&c 26 1 Geomatrix 5.0 SITE RECONNAISSANCE Geomatrix personnel conducted site reconnaissance on June 12, 2007 with Mr. Dave Jenkins, representing UAP. Our observations are summarized in this section. 5.1 METHODOLOGY AND LIMITING CONDITIONS A Site Walk was made by observing the inside and outside of the three Site buildings and walking the rest of the property. Access was unrestricted and the weather was partly sunny and warm. Mr. Jenkins unlocked the buildings and gave a tour. 5.2 ON-SITE OBSERVATIONS The Site buildings were vacant but locked; power was still active to the Site. The buildings were in reasonably good condition. The middle building (taking the place of the original Middle building) floors were stained and had apparently been used for storing and shipping of agricultural chemicals. A large floor drain was evident in the main warehouse portion of the building. The building was empty of any product. A large electrical transformer is located outside the north wall of the building. The north building (taking the place of the former north building that burned in 1979) was empty. There was evidence of floor trench drains that have been filled in with concrete. The electrical panel inside the building had some fuses labeled Welders, consistent with the history of the building as relayed by Mr. Jenkins. A fenced storage area is located on the west side of that building and a small sailboat on a trailer was being stored in the area. The Office building was empty also. A large in-ground truck scale is located outside the east wall of the structure. The basement of the Office building contained historic drawings and files that Geomatrix subsequently reviewed for this ESA. The pavements of the Site appeared in poor condition, with numerous areas of the asphalt that had been disturbed over the years. Drainage appeared to be in the southeastern direction and a storm water catch basin was evident near the southeast comer of the property. Scrub grass and weeds appeared to be growing in the areas where the former south and Middle buildings were located. 5.3 SURROUNDING PROPERTIES The properties to the west, north and northeast are residential and appeared, based on the size of mature trees. to be there for many years. The railroad tracks to the south were active at the DEPTDATA:Projea:13540:ReWu 3000:Ph i ESA-Repm tm.&c 27 Geomatrix time of the Site visit. Ryan Lake was evident to the south of the tracks. A large concrete structure, associated with the Ryan Creek buried culvert was evident to the southeast of the Site, at the toe of the slope of the adjacent Osseo Road overpass. 6.0 INTERVIEWS Geomatrix interviewed Mr. Dave Jenkins, Environmental Regulatory Services for UAP Distribution, Inc. to obtain information regarding facility use, chemical usage, handling, and storage, and Site history. Information obtained during this interview is summarized in this section. Mr. Jenkins has been associated with the property since 1989. A that time he did not have any direct responsibility for environmental matters at the Site. He indicated that the purpose of the facility, since approximately 1940 was for the distribution of agricultural fertilizers serving the potato industry. He indicated that it was originally owned by the Howe family. He indicated that there were rail siding and truck docks at the Site but most of those were removed in 2001 when Veit Company, under contract to UAP abated asbestos and demolished the two main buildings that were located at the Site. He was aware that the buildings contained extensive Transite (asbestos containing) siding which required abatement prior to demolition. He was also aware that groundwater monitoring wells were abandoned on the Site. Mr Jenkins indicated that after Howe no longer manufactured fertilizers at the facility, sometime in the later 1980's, the facility was only used for distribution of agricultural chemicals. There were liquid pesticides stored within the building at the Site (30 and 55 gallon drums and 300 gallon totes) which were then sold in smear amounts to customers. All of these materials were handled within the building which was equipped with secondary containment. During Mr. Jenkins time at the Site, there was a Truck shop and manufacturer of seed application equipment (a tenant to UAP that leased space in the north building) that generated wastes but that the distribution of chemicals by UAP did not generate waste. No wastes were disposed at the facility that he is aware of. Mr. Jenkins was aware of 3, 10,000 gallon USTs (gas, diesel and fuel oil) that were abandoned by Determan Welding & Tank Company in 1995. He was also aware of a Nitric Acid above ground tank that had been at the facility but also had been removed. He was aware that UAP distributed herbicides and pesticides from the facility. DEPMATA:Pmjed:13540:RepoM 3000:P61 ESA:Repon tw.dw 28 Geomatrix When the buildings were demolished he stated that the footings and below-grade structures were completely removed. The backfill from the south building was used to grade the Site to the contours evident today. He was not aware of any fires on Site other than the fire in 1979 where the north building burned. Mr. Jenkins indicated that equipment was removed from the former buildings in the 1990's, prior to the building demolition in 2001. He was not aware of any files on the UST abandonment. He thinks that a storm water pollution prevention plan was never necessary for the Site while it was UAP. 7.0 FINDINGS The findings of this ESA indicate that the Site has been used for industrial purposes since approximately 1940 until 2001. Prior to that time the Site was used for both growing and shipping of agricultural products, most likely potatoes. There have been railroad sidings at the Site, since at least the 1920's. The primary purpose of the facility has been as a manufacturer and distribution facility for fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. The facility operations included manufacturing, blending, packaging, storing, loading and shipping the raw materials used and of the products. Raw materials, manufactured product and application equipment for liquid fertilizers were stored on building concrete floors, on wood floors, asphalt pavements and on bare soil. The operations required fuel oil for production of heat that was stored in below ground tanks. The manufacture of fertilizers apparently required sulfuric and nitric acids for production and these materials were stored in above ground tanks which for many years did not have secondary containment. Miscellaneous equipment and raw materials has been stored on bare soil at the Site since operations began in the 1940's. Some filling of the Site occurred when Ryan Creek was diverted into a below-ground culvert in the 1970's and some additional filling occurred when the main buildings on the Site were demolished in 2001. The under ground petroleum storage tanks were removed from the Site in 1995. While the tanks were removed by a registered tank contractor, there are no available files regarding the removal and the conditions of soil or groundwater during the removal. The operations also included the use of a large amount of liquid nitrogen which apparently was stored in large above ground tanks located at the south east comer of the facility. There is no record of the abandonment of these tanks. DEPTDATA:Proj=LI3540:Rgwru 3000:P61 ESA:Report te:t.Mc 29 Geomatrix The buildings that are now gone from the Site were manufactured using asbestos containing Taansite materials. The transite was abated and the buildings were demolished. No report documenting this work exists. According to the contractor who performed this work (Veit) indicated to Geomatrix that the abatement work included scraping soils around the perimeter of the demolished buildings as a precaution to having friable asbestos contaminating the soil. This apparently was due to the poor condition that the buildings were in prior to demolition. The facility had apparently 3 production wells for water supply. There is no record of the abandonment of the wells. The facility apparently did not have sanitary sewer service in the initial years of operation and would have likely then required a septic system for disposal of liquid wastes. There is no record of the abandonment of septic systems. The surface water run-off at the site may have partially been directed to a "dry well" located on-Site. The records suggest that one of the storm sewer catch basins was not plumbed to the storm sewer piping that leads to Ryan Creek located south of the Site. The facility operations, from 1940 until the 1980's, included emissions from the facility that were opposed by the neighborhood residents and the City of Brooklyn Center. There were reports of visible emissions from the facility that were depositing onto the ground of the facility and on nearby neighborhood lawns. The Site experienced a major fire in 1979 wherein a large amount of the facilities products and equipment burned. The resulting fire fighting operations resulted in significant fugitive releases to soil, surface water and groundwater at the Site. Sampling and analysis for the chemicals of concern as a result of the fire found evidence of these releases. The ground surface at the Site ad nearby lawns required removal and treatment for some of the major pesticides that were distributed from the facility. Groundwater was monitored at the Site for a number of years and apparently the levels of impacts from these major pesticides abated such that the wells were abandoned. There were no records of the sampling that verified this, however and there are no well construction or abandonment records that were available for review. The Site also included a retail petroleum station for approximately 25 years, the use of which initially may have also included bulk fuel sales from above ground tanks. These types of facilities would have also included waste oil tanks which likely would have been located DEPMATA:Project:13540:RgmrU 3000:P6 I ESA:Rgmn t=L&c 30 Geomatrix below-ground. There are no records of the abandonment of the petroleum station or the USTs associated with it. The Site also included a small building that may have been a petroleum distributor (based on the name of the facility (but that was eventually known as a sewing machine company and later a manufacturer of cultured marble. Very little is known about the operations of this facility. Only a portion of the former facility is now within the border of the Site property. At least one and possibly two separate businesses may have operated at the facility in the late 1980's or 1990's that manufactured some farm implement equipment (seeding equipment) that included welding, grinding, painting and maintenance of equipment. Washing of trucks also occurred within the existing north building at the Site. There is at least one facility off-Site that has a potential for having impacted the groundwater at the Site: the Joslyn site located approximately 2000 to 3000 feet west, of the Site. This site had known groundwater impacts in the 1980's at a point essentially at the western property boundary of the Site. Based on the review of documents for this ESA, we find that there are a number of recognized environment conditions associated with the Site. These RECs are either particular unit operations at the Site or are more Site-wide issues due to activities and events at the Site. There is at least one off-Site facility that may have lead to impacts to groundwater at the Site. 8.0 ADDITIONAL 04VESTIGATION We recommend that additional investigation be conducted to further assess the potential RECs identified at the site. 9.0 DATA GAPS No significant data gaps were identified during this ESA. The exact nature of the operations of the lessees at the Site in the late 1980'sand 1990's is not well understood, however. 10.0 CONCLUSIONS Geomatrix has performed a Phase I ESA of the Site located at 4821 Xerxes Avenue North in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota in conformance with the scope and limitations of ASTM Standard DE MATA:Proj=:13540:Rep xU 3000:P6 I ESA:Repon taxL&c 31 Geomatrix E 1527-05. In our opinion, there are no exceptions to, or deletions from, this practice for this ESA. This assessment has revealed the following RECs in connection with the Site: The manufacture, storage and distribution from the Site of ammoniated granulated fertilizers, the importing, storage and distribution of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides and related agricultural chemicals since the mid-1940's until approximately 1982 and the bulk chemical storage and storage of chemical applicators on bare soil and known fugitive releases of the facility products to Site soils represents a REC A major industrial incidence occurred at the Site when, in 1979, one of the buildings at the Site burned down. The building reportably contained over 80 tons of one hundred (100) different pesticides and over 120 tons of bagged and bulk fertilizers, all of which burned along with equipment (electrical equipment, vehicles, maintenance chemicals, wood, metal, batteries, etc.) stored within the building represents a REC • The fire water used to fight the fire (estimated at 500,000 gallons) drained onto the Site pavements and soil where it pooled as well as ran into Site storm water catch basins. One of these catch basins is believed to be a Dry Well (not connected to any discharge piping that would lead the water away from the Site) represents a REC • Site soil and groundwater sampling and analysis, subsequent to the fire, was performed and elevated concentrations of agricultural chemicals were detected in both the Site soil and groundwater represents a REC • Maintenance of company vehicles and equipment that included welding, painting, cleaning metal parts with petroleum based solvents, truck washing, battery change- out and generation of used oils, the discharge or fugitive emissions from which may have been to an on-Site septic system or to the dry well represents a REC • The use of the Site for both retail petroleum distribution and the use at the Site of underground storage tanks for gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil and a lack of any records of the observations or sampling and analysis for potential releases by petroleum products to Site soil and groundwater represents a REC • The Howe facility operated an incinerator at the Site, specifically for what purpose is currently unknown. The incinerator emissions and generated ash, if not properly treated and/or disposed off-Site represents a REC • The existence of at least two and likely three production wells and at least four groundwater monitoring wells at the facility and a lack of documentation of the well abandonment represents a REC • The apparent use at the Site of above ground storage tanks, for unknown liquids represents a REC DEPTDATkProjart:13540:RWons 3000:Ph I ESA:Repon textAm 32 Geomatrix • The use of rail car loading/unloading docks and over-the-road truck docks at the Site and the potential for fugitive releases of Site chemicals represents a REC • The deterioration ad subsequent demolition of asbestos containing building materials and the potential for soil contaminated with asbestos represents a rec 11.0 DEVIATIONS No deviations or deletions from ASTM Standard E 1527-05 were made during preparation of this ESA. 12.0 ADDITIONAL SERVICES No additional services were provided as part of this ESA. 13.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL SIGNATURE AND STATEMENT I declare that, to the best of my professional knowledge and belief, I meet the definition of Environmental Professional as defined in section 312.10 of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 312. I have the specific qualifications based on education, training, and experience to assess a property of the nature, history, and setting of the subject property. I have developed and performed the all appropriate inquiries in conformance with the standards and practices set forth in 40 CFR~rt 312. A resume for the environmental professional is included in Appendix ~p6er F. Thompson, P.E. President/Principal Engineer DEPTDATA:Projcml3540:Rapom 3000:Ph 1 ESA:RepW tW-&C 33