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Stadium land swap appears on track
Legislators said they doubted that reports of pollution would stop the deal for a new Gophers stadium.
April 24, 2006
Star Tribune
Susan Feyder
Members of the Minnesota House on both sides of the proposed land swap for a University of Minnesota stadium subsidy said Sunday that they don't believe the disclosure of pollution problems on the 2,840-acre parcel will derail the deal.
The Star Tribune reported Sunday that the land in Dakota County that the university has offered to share with the state in exchange for a $235 million stadium subsidy was polluted by a World War II gunpowder plant. University officials met last week with the Army Corps of Engineers to assess the pollution problem.
The Gophers stadium plan, which includes the land-for-subsidy provision, overwhelmingly passed the House this month and awaits Senate action.
Several House members contacted Sunday said they were already aware of possible pollution problems on the land, but did not believe that state taxpayers would have to pay for any cleanup.
"In our negotiations it was our position that the federal government would acknowledge and take responsibility" for any cleanup costs, said Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, a co-author of the Gophers stadium bill.
"It is not our intent [for the state] to take over anybody's pollution liability," he said.
To read more, go to http://www.startribune.com/462/story/388516.html
