Local Property Owners in Mahtomedi School District and City of Grant face significant financial liability


Posted July 17, 2016 by ggmedia

A special and informative meeting will take place at the Oak Park Heights City Hall, 14168 Oak Park Rd N, Oak Park Heights, MN on Tuesday, July 26th, 1:00 PM
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, July 15th, 2016 (Grant, MN)



A special and informative meeting will take place at the Oak Park Heights City Hall, 14168 Oak Park Rd N, Oak Park Heights, MN on Tuesday, July 26th, 1:00 PM, regarding the current Minnesota environmental protection laws, risks and liabilities in reference to the Wildwood Elementary School located at 8698 75th St. N., Grant, MN 55082. This meeting will be hosted by local concerned citizens residing in the Mahtomedi School District and City of Grant.



The Wildwood Elementary School was built in 2013 on top of contaminated Brownfield Lands formerly known as the
Bellaire Sanitation Dump. Today, there are six current and active hot spots on this property that are leaking toxic
chemicals. Since the opening of the Wildwood Elementary individuals working and attending school there have been diagnosed with various cancers.



A group of concerned local citizens recently discovered through a Minnesota Data Practices Act inquiry that
the Minnesota Department of Education never approved the Wildwood Elementary to be built on this contaminated land.

The group also discovered that the Mahtomedi School District
falsified the date of purchase of the land to the Minnesota Department of Education. It has also been revealed that before the 2010 Mahtomedi School District Bond Referendum, the school district did not make any disclosure or representations to the local property taxpayer(s) that the proposed Wildwood Elementary would be constructed on contaminated Brownfield Lands. Out of 3476 votes casted, the 2010 Bond Referendum only passed by 22 votes.



As current Minnesota laws stand today, there is no protection for local property taxpayers or children. Minnesota is one of the states with the weakest laws for regulating schools being built on contaminated lands. There are no state statutes addressing this issue at all in Minnesota. This must change and local property taxpayers have the right to be informed.



As of today the Mahtomedi School District Superintendent, Mark Larson, refuses to answer Minnesota Data Practices inquiries regarding key school district financial transactions and dealings regarding Wildwood Elementary School.



Also, local property taxpayers must be given notice that
Mahtomedi School District, in conjunction with the City of Grant, is intending to construct an ice arena on this high risk property. This action would require further soil disruption and breaking the seal of the former dump. The Mahtomedi School District has no intention of asking for voter approval and will place excess liability on the local property taxpayers in the Mahtomedi School District and City of Grant.
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Issued By support
Website Mahtomedi School District
Phone 651.407.2000
Business Address 1520 Mahtomedi Avenue, Mahtomedi, MN 55115
Country United States
Categories Education
Tags brownfield sites , environmental , mahtomedi school district , minnesota department of education , wildwood elementary
Last Updated July 17, 2016