St. Paul encampment soil tests show lead at triple the health threshold
Soil samples from St. Paul's largest homeless encampment, at Randolph Avenue and Shepard Road, showed lead at 646 parts per million at the center and 355 along the main pathway, according to MinnPost-commissioned testing by a University of Minnesota researcher. Chronic exposure above 200 ppm is considered a health risk, and the EPA recommends removing residential soil above 600 ppm. The site has been a state superfund site since 1992. On October 21 the St. Paul City Council unanimously passed a 60-day pause on encampment closures, and Ramsey County says it has safety protocols for staff on site.
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Why it matters
Hundreds of people live at the site, which the city counts at roughly 330 residents, and the soil testing raises health questions for them and for outreach workers who visit nearly daily. City and county staff are using masks, shoe coverings and safety protocols.
What to watch
The St. Paul City Council's 60-day pause on encampment closures, passed October 21, runs into December; no cleanup start date has been set.
Sources
- MPR News (MinnPost): Dangerous levels of lead and other toxins taint soil at St. Paul homeless encampment
- CBS Minnesota (MinnPost/AP): St. Paul encampment soil has lead over triple the safety threshold
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