Richway Drive opened to motorists Monday. Major hauling to clean the former North Edgewater Park dump site is coming to a close.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency public information officer Cathy Rofshus said crews have hauled a little more than 400,000 cubic yards of garbage out of the site to a lined composite cell at the Albert Lea Transfer Station.

The MPCA segregated out about 12 drums for disposal outside of Freeborn County, which contained benzene, heavy metals and other substances not appropriate for disposal in the closed cell, Rofshus said.

Last August, crews under the MPCA began work on the project, building the new 11-acre composite-lined cell where the contaminated soil would be kept and then transferring contaminated soil from the former landfill.

The 30-acre Edgewater Park landfill site was originally used as a sand-and-gravel mining operation, and from 1956 to 1972 it served as the Albert Lea dump, accepting municipal solid waste — which included mixed commercial, industrial and residential wastes.

When the dump was in operation, pits were filled with the waste and open burning was practiced. It was used until the newer landfill was built.

When operations of the dump ceased, the site was covered with lake sediments dredged from Fountain Lake and there was no formal engineered closure of the area.

The area produced vinyl chloride and other metals, which seeped into Fountain Lake. That seepage prompted strong pushes in 2006 and 2008 from local elected officials and concerned residents to get state aid.

The cleanup was made possible through $5 million in state bonding funds. The first segment, $3.5 million, was approved in 2006. The remainder came in 2008.

Rofshus said the entire project should conclude in June with restoration of the west end of the park completed by early summer.

She advised motorists that though Richway Drive is open again, they still need to be on the alert over the next month or two for temporary road closures for trucks carrying concrete.