Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant Remediation

Background

The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) is a vast piece of land that has been left unused for many years; it is the largest contiguous brownfield property in the Twin Cities metro area. Bay West and our key staff have played an integral role at TCAAP over the past 20 years as the investigation and remediation contractor on several of the most high-profile waste disposal sites on the property. We have worked to provide technical expertise and third-party oversight of cleanup activities.

Project Details

Our team has extensive knowledge and experience in environmental remediation, brownfield redevelopment, and regulatory compliance. We have worked closely with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ramsey County Environmental Health Department to ensure that all work is carried out in compliance with the relevant regulations and standards.

Bay West has performed investigation and remediation work on eight sites at TCAAP. Some of our more significant remediation efforts are summarized below:

Excavation of 40,000 yards of soil containing shell casings, metals contamination, and asbestos waste with stabilization and off-site disposal of 20,000 cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil.
Construction/start-up of a pilot-scale soil vapor extraction/air sparge remediation system.
Investigation & remediation of a 10-acre burn pit and remediation of lead-contaminated groundwater.
Remediation of former wastewater disposal pits contaminated with metals, nitroglycerine, and asbestos.

Following purchase of the property by Ramsey County the Bay West project team providing third party oversight, supplemental sampling support, and document reviews for the building demolition, infrastructure removal, and soil remediation of the 427 acres which resulted in the site’s removal from the federal and state Superfund lists and removal of land use restrictions allowing for redevelopment of the site with unrestricted (residential) land use.

Bay West conducted soil sampling on the project on behalf of the County to supplement the existing dataset and lend additional confidence that significant environmental concerns had been identified and were remediated under the County’s fixed-price remediation contract. Bay West reviewed response action implementation reports and assisted the County in obtaining a Commissioner’s Certificate of Completion with the goal of changing the land use from industrial to unrestricted residential. We worked closely with the MPCA Brownfields Program staff to ensure the approved work plans and RAPs would achieve Ramsey County’s objectives.

Bay West continues to work with Ramsey County on TCAAP conducting long-term groundwater monitoring and providing environmental consulting support on various environmental issues as they arise during the planning process. Bay West has assisted with preliminary response action planning issues with respect to the proposed redevelopment activities and continues to advise Ramsey County on a variety of technical issues associated with the future development including contingency planning, and redevelopment infrastructure improvements.

Recent Experience

PFAS Destruction Using Supercritical Water Oxidation

In partnership with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), Bay West is exploring the viability and cost-efficiency of using supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Tests achieved a remarkable 99.94% reduction in PFAS highlighting SCWO’s potential for effective PFAS destruction.

Eglin AFB Munitions Investigation and Removal

Bay West conducts munitions investigation and removal at Eglin Air Force Base, allowing the site to be continuously utilized for training. Bay West collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and federal agencies to provide military munitions support.

St. Louis River Area of Concern Remediation

The St. Louis River and Duluth/Superior Harbor have historically been polluted by industries like logging and papermaking. Bay West has been a key partner with local and state agencies in addressing comprehensive cleanup plan aimed at restoring the area.

Perham Investigation and Remediation

The East Otter Tail County Fairgrounds in Perham, Minnesota, served as a mixing station and depository for unused arsenic-based grasshopper bait in the 1940s. Bay West has helped ensure the ongoing protection of communities and the environment with various site investigation, optimization studies, and groundwater modeling.