Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter)
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| Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter) | |
|---|---|
| Superfund site | |
| Geography | |
| City | Brainerd and Baxter |
| County | Crow Wing County |
| State | Minnesota |
| Information | |
| Contaminants | unlined creosote and fuel oil lagoons |
| Responsible parties | Burlington Northern |
| List of Superfund sites | |
The 70-acre Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter Plant) is a former railroad tie treatment plant by Burlington Northern Railroad in northern Minnesota, USA. The unlined creosote and fuel oil lagoons, which had been used to treat the ties contaminated groundwater. In 1985, the site was listed as a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund. Contaminated soils were excavated and capped and a groundwater gradient pump -out well is in place.
Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter Plant) is located on the boundary between the cities of Brainerd and Baxter, in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, in an area south of the Paul Bunyan State Trail and State Highway 210 and north of West Laurel Street (formerly Florence Street). The Mississippi River flows approximately 3,000 feet east of the site. The site is bordered by commercial and light industrial areas to the north and southwest and by residential areas to the south and southeast.
History
The site was operated by Burlington Northern Railroad and historical usage included railroad tie treatment, loading and unloading of ties and timbers, and timber storage. Several rail lines are still active through the area. The tie treating plant operated on the property between 1907 and 1985 and treated railroad ties with creosote and fuel oil. Wastewater generated from the wood-treating process was sent to two shallow, unlined ponds. This created a sludge which contaminated both the underlying soils and the groundwater with creosote and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Threats and contaminants
Prior to the operation of the groundwater treatment system, contaminated groundwater threatened private water wells, and surface water was at risk from contamination with carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic PAHs, oil and grease, salts, and phenols. Soils at the site were also heavily contaminated prior to removal and treatment.