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What's New | Skiing at Quarry Lake | About Quarry Lake | Quarry Lakes Gates | Membership Quarry Lake Environmental Report The Shakopee-Prior Lake Waterski Association and the City of Shakopee have undertaken separate water quality and environmental studies of the site. Analysis of the studies showed that there are small amounts of Diesel Range Organics contaminants in the lake water. Here is more information about this finding. Diesel Range Organics
(DRO) could include, for example, fuel oil or diesel fuel. A finding
of small amounts of DRO in Quarry Lake is not particularly surprising,
because site was formerly an industrial quarry. The environmental study
measured 640 ug/L DRO concentrations in the northwest corner of the
land, and 130 - 150 ug/L in two specific locations in the water.
We believe that these measurements may be from one or both of two spills
in the area that were reported to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA) over the past 20 years or so. The MPCA supervised clean-up and
closed both cases because all of the clean-up requirements were met. The big question of course,
is what these measurements mean. We sent a letter to the Minnesota Department
of Health to get a handle on the meaning of these measurements. Here's
what we have learned from their response: The Department of Health
for the State of Minnesota has set a "Health Based Value"
(HBV) of 200 ug/L for DROs. The 200 ug/L HBV is set as a guideline.
The highest Quarry Lake DRO water measurement is 150 ug/L, below the
HBV guideline. We've learned further, however, that the Minnesota
Department of Health's HBV of 200 ug/L for DROs assumes daily consumption
of two liters of drinking water containing DRO over a long period of
time – from several years to a lifetime. Generally, higher exposures
can be tolerated over the short-term. Only in an extremely unusual circumstance
would recreational use of water result in even a one-time consumption
of two liters in a single day. Further still, recreational
use of the Quarry Lake water allows the possibility of dermal (skin)
and inhalation (breathing) exposure. The HBV, however, is
derived to allow for routes of exposure in addition to oral ingestion.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) tells us that in deriving an
HBV, only twenty percent of the total allowable exposure is allocated
to drinking water, thus leaving eighty percent for exposure through
other routes. No activity on our good
green earth is without risk, and using the water at Quarry Lake is no
different. By becoming a Shakopee-Prior Lake Shockwaves member,
you are agreeing to use Quarry Lake at your own risk. While the
DRO measurements in Quarry Lake are likely higher than what would be
found in a public lake, however, the MDH tells us that the Quarry lake
DRO measured amounts are small, and it is highly unlikely that those
levels would pose additional risk to water-skiers. If you have concerns
or questions about these DRO measurements, please contact anyone of
us by phone or e-mail. We would be happy to share the environmental
report with any member who wants to see it. For your information,
we are including in an attachment text from response letter we received
from the MDH. Please read the letter below. Please let us know if
you have questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you. Sincerely, Your PLWSA 2005 Board of Directors Here is
text from a February 23, 2005 letter from the MDH regarding this issue: ---- Original
Message ----- From: Anne Kukowski To: John Davis Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2005 2:00 PM Subject: Re:
Fwd: DRO Specialist Advice > Dear Mr.
Davis. |
| Questions or Comments? Contact: waterskier@priorlakewaterski.org |