The Daily Dispatch

North Dakota State Department of Health officials have released the results of soil samples taken from the Industrial Plating Corporation site and areas surrounding its location. The samples were collected during April.

Contaminates found in the soil are ones associated with firewater runoff and are the metals zinc and chromium — both used in the plating process at Industrial Plating. Native soils normally contain these metals, as well as lead, cadmium, mercury, copper and others. The normal range for chromium in native soils is 20 to 90 parts per million and zinc is 30 to 100 parts per million, states the state health department official report.

"All the samples showed just a fraction of what the maximum contamination would be," said Scott Radig, Division of Waste Management director.

Values have been reviewed and they are levels that can be contained in residential soil and still be considered safe. Health officials arrive at these numbers by considering variables such as age of children, ingestion, inhalation and other factors.

The most conservation, or lowest, concentration for chromium is 210 parts per million and zinc is 8,700 parts per million. Residential soil could then contain these amounts and still be safe. Results at the Industrial Plating site and surrounding properties show levels much lower.

"We were pretty pleased with the results," said Radig. "I thought they may potentially come in higher than that but you never know until you check."

Radig was happy with results because he could reassure residents there is no health concern or health risk to be worried about. All samples, unless identified otherwise, were collected from the ground surface to six inches below the ground. Samples from that part of the ground represent the highest metals' concentrations.

The state health department also reported the majority of debris within the building has been removed and anticipate that portion of the clean up to be completed by the end of next week.

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