Union Scrap Iron & Metal Co. is a 10,000-square-foot former battery recycling facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It operated from the early 1970s until 1983. The EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1984 and deleted it in 1991 after cleanup was finished. Today the site is part of the North Washington Industrial Park and serves as a parking area for commercial businesses.
Battery recycling and waste disposal practices contaminated the soil and air with heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and copper. Polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, were also found in soil and sludge on the property. Groundwater is not a concern at this site.
The EPA carried out removal actions in two phases. The first ran from December 1985 to January 1986, and the second from November 1987 to December 1988. Workers disposed of battery debris, contaminated soil, and materials found in nearby sewer lines. They also removed a cement pad with waste beneath it and demolished on-site buildings. Excavated areas were refilled with clean material. Two consent decrees for the sitewide cleanup were completed in 1993 and 1996. A second operable unit received a No Further Action determination after a combined remedial investigation and feasibility study, meaning no further cleanup was required there.
Human exposure is currently under control. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met, and no unacceptable risks remain. Physical construction across the entire site is complete. Institutional controls, such as zoning restrictions, stay in place to block incompatible uses like residential development and to limit exposure to any contamination that remains. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on June 26, 2006. As of December 2024, one on-site business employed 7 people and generated roughly $189,950 in annual sales revenue.
Community members with questions about the site can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
