MacGillis & Gibbs/Bell Lumber & Pole Co.

Overview

Wood treatment plants have operated on this 68-acre New Brighton, Minnesota site since the early 1920s. The plants used creosote, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as preservatives. That left soil and groundwater contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals including arsenic, copper, and chromium, dioxins and dibenzofurans, benzene, naphthalene, toluene, DDT, and other chemicals. EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984.

The site is divided into four operable units, each targeting a specific area or contamination type. Cleanup work included excavation, bioremediation, soil stabilization, incineration, and installation of a protective cap over heavily contaminated areas. A groundwater pump-and-treat system extracts and treats contaminated groundwater. Construction of cleanup systems finished in September 2002. Long-term response actions for soil and waste ended in 2012, and operation and maintenance activities have continued since then. In 1993, crews removed 683 drums of solids and 28 drums of liquids containing creosote, PCP, and dioxins. Cleanup is being managed by potentially responsible parties under EPA and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) oversight.

Human exposure across the site is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is stabilized, and monitoring continues to confirm contamination stays confined to its original area. Institutional controls such as zoning restrictions prevent land uses incompatible with cleanup levels, including residential development. Site contaminants have been detected in a few private wells, though the well owners report not consuming that water. The 2011 Five-Year Review found no evidence of current exposures. The soil remedy is protective of human health and the environment. The groundwater remedy is protective in the short term, but achieving groundwater cleanup goals is required for it to remain protective long-term. EPA is currently installing a new groundwater treatment system to replace the original, which was nearing the end of its effective lifecycle.

The site has been successfully redeveloped as the New Brighton Corporate Park III, which includes manufacturing and distribution businesses, over 70,000 square feet of commercial office space, retail shops, restaurants, and a 120-unit condominium development. As of December 2024, 11 on-site businesses employed 716 people and generated approximately $161 million in annual sales revenue. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL, and sitewide readiness for all anticipated reuse has not been achieved. The most recent five-year review was completed in January 2022, and the next is estimated between January and March 2027.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly. Details about the fifth Five-Year Review and the groundwater system change are available in the Fifth Five Year Review Report and the Explanation of Significant Differences documents. An administrative record of 70 documents covers EPA's activities and decisions at the site.