That south Minneapolis dirt

If you live in south Minneapolis, you've probably given some thought to arsenic. I have. Like the other day--you know, the one that was warm--when I turned my back on my two-year old just long enough for him to shove some of that south Minneapolis dirt into his mouth. Given all the attention the EPA has given our dirt in recent years (high arsenic levels have put parts of Corcoran, Longfellow, Midtown Phillips, Powderhorn, Seward, Ventura Village, and all of East Phillips on the list of contenders for federal Superfund money).

Got a dirt-loving kid in one of these neighborhoods? The Minnesota Department of Health is looking for 100 of them, between the ages of 3 and 10, to test for any possible effect arsenic contamination might have on those of us who live in the contaminated areas.

According to 9th Ward City Council representative Gary Schiff, all eligible households will receive a letter in the mail from the Minnesota Department of Health.

The prime suspect for the arsenic contamination is the Heartland Lite Yard Site, where arsenic-containing pesticides were manufactured and stored between 1938 and 1963.

The EPA, with a soil testing and cleanup program well under way, will be testing 130 more residential properties and cleaning up 34 this year.

For more information on EPA’s cleanup standard and cleanup process, or to find out how to obtain the soil sample results from your yard, email Tim Prendiville or call 800-621-8431 ext. 65122.