Pig’s Eye Regional Park is St. Paul’s largest. It is also a Superfund site. Plans are in the works to clean up contaminants including PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, metals, and methane gas and more that built up over more than 25 years it was used as an unregulated dump. The type of remediation of the the former dump-turned-park depends upon its future use.
Four potential options for the future use and clean up of Pig’s Eye Park are being considered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA):
- Active use park: A multi-use park that offers expanded recreational opportunities which could include options such as playgrounds, athletic fields, a disc golf course, mountain bike trails, and more.
- Passive use park: A less developed site that provides spaces for less structured recreation activities alongside natural areas. Potential features could include walking and hiking trails, benches, and spaces to view nature.
- Natural Area: Restoration of the site to its natural wetland state, prioritizing ecological habitat over recreational use.
- Industrial/commercial: Adapting the site for industrial use such as solar reuse, storage, and manufacturing.
The Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County will soon take a formal position on this.
