MNDOT installs a ‘soils cap’ at The Crossing

MNDOT at The Crossing MNDOT at The Crossing

The grading and clean-up at 2nd and Hwy 3 corner of The Crossing is being done by MNDOT.  Brian O’Connell, City of Northfield Community Development Director, had this blurb in last week’s Friday Memo:

The Community Development Director and the City Engineer met with representatives of the MnDOT, MPCA, Mendota Homes, and the City’s legal counsel on the project to review the status of the environmental clean up on the property still owned by MnDOT and the corresponding progress that is starting to occur on the sale of the MnDOT property to the City of Northfield.

MnDOT will be installing a “soils cap” on the property that MnDOT still owns on The Crossings site. This will result in MnDOT obtaining a No Further Action Letter from the MPCA which also leads to the activity of selling the land to the City. The soils cap will require further mitigation by Mendota Homes once building construction begins. Basically MnDOT is undertaking a minimal effort to resolve the environmental condition on the property they plan to sell and are imposing a deed restriction that will presumably effect the sale price of the property.

Brian submitted this report on The Crossing (PDF) to the Council last week.

FYI, the Wigley’s and Mendota Homes have settled the lawsuit. And no, I can’t talk about it.

2 Comments

  1. Check out what exactly a “soils cap” is. Specifically, is it coal ash or some other toxic mixture? They often use coal ash and sewage sludge (mmmm-mmmmmmmm) to cap landfills, and it’s got me wondering…

    October 29, 2008
  2. Here’s an EPRI study about coal fly ash and its use for “soil stabilization” among other things, and leaching of toxics is the issue of concern. Keep in mind that EPRI is THE industry organization, but I’ve found them very helpful in verifying the industry’s dirty secrets.
    http://www.flyash.info/2001/envben2/64heebin.pdf

    October 30, 2008

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