Eagan residents left frustrated, concerned over 'elevated' lead levels

Elevated lead levels in Eagan has residents concerned

Several Minnesota agencies held an open house to answer questions about "elevated" lead levels at Gopher Resource in Eagan. Many residents said the forum did not provide an opportunity to get any substantive answers. Multiple spokespersons refused to answer questions, instead suggesting FOX 9 make an appointment.

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Several state agencies hosted a community meeting Tuesday night to answer questions after "elevated" lead levels were detected earlier this year at a recycling plant in Eagan.

But many residents said state workers did not answer any serious questions.

State agencies host open house over lead concerns

The backstory:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said it detected "elevated" lead levels at Gopher Resource in Eagan in January. It said the levels remained higher than normal until March.

The agency said it sent the company a violation letter in May and notified residents in July, six months after the "elevated" lead levels were first detected. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, no amount of lead is safe in the body.

What they're saying:

"Why didn’t we know about it?" asked resident Marsha Peterson. "I don’t want lead in my vegetables because I eat on that. We’ve got honeybees, so how much is that effecting the honey that we have?"

Others shared her concerns.

"It’s alarming," said Ali Franke, who lives near the plant. "It’s really concerning, and it doesn’t feel like it’s being taken seriously."

John Retke said he found the forum virtually useless. He said state workers refused to answer any serious questions. "They know that they haven’t been doing their jobs in protecting the residents of Minnesota and holding Gopher Resources accountable," he said.

The response:

Several spokespersons from both the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health refused to answer questions from FOX 9.

In a statement Tuesday night, Gopher Resource said, in part: "Upon identifying the issue, we immediately notified the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and investigated the cause. Through our site investigation, we determined that an equipment issue allowed for lead to enter a non-leaded section of our refining system. Given the exacting standards, even a small amount of lead can contribute to an elevated reading. We quickly fixed the source of the lead...."