City attorneys and staff tell Hastings residents drinking water remains tested and protected amid long-running Superfund cleanup

Summary

At a Hastings City work session, city attorney Mike Sullivan and longtime city environmental representative Marty briefed the council and residents on decades-long Superfund cleanup work, saying contaminated wells were shut and that the city continues extensive testing and well-permit monitoring to protect drinking water.

City attorney Mike Sullivan and city environmental staff told Hastings residents at a Feb. 13 work session that the long-running federal Superfund cleanup here remains active but local drinking water is monitored and protected.

"We're drinking clean water," Sullivan said, describing steps the city has taken over four decades, including shutting contaminated wells and drilling replacement wells in areas outside known plumes. He outlined seven local Superfund subsites — including the South Landfill, North Landfill, the 2nd Street site and Farmarco near the elevator — that EPA has been addressing and said groundwater contamination (notably trichloroethylene, or TCE, and historic fumigants such as carbon tetrachloride) is being investigated and monitored.

Why it matters: Residents raised concerns after social-media attention about historic contamination and possible impacts on…

City attorneys and staff tell Hastings residents drinking water remains tested and protected amid long-running Superfund cleanup

Summary

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