Toxic soil contamination affects St. Paul homeless encampment

St. Paul’s largest homeless encampment, located near the Mississippi River, is situated on land containing dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, and mercury. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has identified the area as one of the state’s permanent environmental priority sites and a state-level superfund site.

The contamination stems from the site’s history as an automobile salvage yard between 1968 and 1989, during which soil was mixed with asphalt, glass, wood, plastic, and charred automobile parts to prevent flooding.

While the MPCA has requested funds for cleanup, state lawmakers have previously denied these requests in favor of other projects. The situation presents a growing health crisis as hundreds of individuals without permanent shelter inhabit the area. Land ownership remains complex, involving the City of St. Paul, Xcel Energy, and Union Pacific Railroad.