"Metro Storm-Water Ponds Are Chemical Soups"

"The local neighborhood pond fringed with spring green looks attractive, but its muddy bottom is loaded with contaminants.

Metro communities from White Bear Lake and Maplewood to South St. Paul are discovering that their storm-water ponds are chemical soups of pesticides, fertilizers, pet wastes, oil, grease and other contaminants.

With an estimated 20,000 public storm-water ponds in the metro area, and thousands more privately owned by industries and homeowner associations, state pollution officials say they expect the problem to be widespread."

Tom Meersman reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune April 26, 2010.