The Minnesota River Valley
Cleanup Project

THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE – WITH COOPERATION!

The Minnesota River Valley is a beautiful area in which to live, work and/or play. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continuing to extend biking and hiking trails from the Twin Cities south along the river, with a long-range goal of having a continuous trail system running southward from the Twin Cities to Mankato. This would give all of us the opportunity to see and enjoy the beauty of the river valley throughout all four seasons. As residents and business owners living in the Minnesota River Valley, we must do all we can to help keep our communities clean. Protecting our local environment will also help to improve the water quality of the Minnesota River. To be certain, some areas in the river valley need a little extra TLC.

One area in particular that has needed some extra attention was a 61 acre site formerly known as V & S Enterprises. Located on the banks of the Minnesota River along the northern edge of Belle Plaine (Minnesota), this site was an active salvage yard from the 1960s through the mid-1990s. Discarded automobiles and components, along with appliances, tires, and other consumer goods were scattered throughout the site. The site contains several wetlands, and the Minnesota River borders the site on its north and west sides. Soil sampling conducted by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff in the spring of 1991 discovered the existence of hazardous substances, such as lead, benzene and xylene, in the soil. The site routinely floods, thereby polluting the river with floating debris. Approximately 57 mobile homes and 30 single family homes are located within three blocks of this site. Because of this, the site provided not only breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the many tires scattered about, but also an irresistible attraction for youthful exploration (and the obvious accompanying potential for injury). Scott County had been monitoring this site and enforcing all codes within its authority over the past twenty years. However, since the site was still being used as a salvage yard the problems kept reoccurring. Thankfully, 1999 provided a unique opportunity to make positive and permanent changes in the condition of this site!

Today there is great encouragement regarding this site! We have seen benefits from the formation of a collaborative, cooperative, multi-group partnership with a single, clear purpose -- to clean up this formerly heavily polluted site! Government agencies first joined forces and formed this partnership in an effort to address this particular problem site. Several businesses and non-profit groups - both large and small - joined the partnership by contributing donations of both money and volunteers to help with the clean up. These important players include 3M in New Ulm (the 3M River Action Team), Cargill, Owatonna Tool Company, Waste Management Inc, SKB Environmental, DemCon Landfill, Union Pacific Railroad, Windings Inc. of New Ulm, the Coalition For A Clean Minnesota River, Subway of Belle Plaine, Super Valu of Belle Plaine, Burger King of Jordan, and the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen Club. Other partners include the MPCA, the Minnesota DNR, Scott County Government, the City of Belle Plaine, Sentenced to Service (Minnesota Correctional Facility), the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources, the MN River Basin Joint Powers Board, and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District. This has truly been an exciting event, as never before has such an assortment of public agencies, private corporations, and citizens been assembled for the sole purpose of cleaning an environmentally sensitive area such as this! A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the hardworking volunteers who helped to make this dream a reality!

Through the ongoing efforts of this partnership, over 1,200 tons of material have been removed from the site! Now that the main portion of the cleanup project has been completed, access will be restricted to prevent further dumping. The site will then be managed as public land, which may include being added to the trail system within the Minnesota River Valley. Because the State of Minnesota has now acquired ownership of the property, it will be possible to maintain the site in a clean and usable condition. Clean up will continue to be performed at this site on an as-needed basis.

For more information on the MN River Valley Cleanup Project, including photos taken throughout the cleanup project, visit the links below:

Minnesota River Valley Cleanup Project – a pre-cleanup view

Minnesota River Valley Cleanup Project – a pre-cleanup aerial view

Minnesota River Valley Cleanup Project – May 1999

Minnesota River Valley Cleanup Project – October 1999

	Contact Information
County Main Number

(952) 445-7750

(952) 496-8170 (TTY)


Environmental Health
(952) 496-8475

(952) 496-8496 (FAX)