FOX RIVER
Winter 2009
Vol. 12, No. 3
Update from the Lower Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership
Paper Companies Complete Dredging for 2009
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dredging, capping and covering activities in the Lower
Fox River have wrapped up for the year.
Georgia-Pacific, NCR Corp. and Appleton Papers Inc.
ended their "construction season" in mid November.
Dredging and capping/covering in the Lower Fox
River consisted of constructing a 6-acre, 70-foot-high
sediment handling facility, dredging 540,300 cubic
yards of PCB-contaminated sediment and capping/
covering about 62 acres in the river.
"Their original goal was 460,000 cubic yards," said
EPA Remedial Project Manager Jim Hahnenberg.
"So, needless to say, we are quite pleased. As for the
handling facility, equipment was delivered, assembled
and made operational within one year of site
mobilization. Some of the major components, such
as sediment dewatering plate and frame presses, were
imported from Europe."
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOLDT TEAM
This 8-inch cutterhead dredge operated continuously to remove
contaminated sediment.
Hahnenberg added that the dredging work went
exceptionally well. "This may be the greatest
See Paper Companies, Page 3
Project Exceeds
Production Goals
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Now that dredging in the Lower Fox River from Little
Rapids to Green Bay has wrapped up for 2009, the three
companies doing the cleanup under U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources oversight can look back on a successful year.
According to EPA Remedial Project Manager Jim
Hahnenberg, Appleton Papers Inc., Georgia-Pacific, and
NCR Corp. surpassed their 2009 production goal by
mid-October.
Statistics as of November 17 include:
• 13,276 truck loads (about 22 cubic yards per truck)
of dredged sediment was taken to the disposal
facility in Chilton.
• 314,696 tons of PCB-contaminated sediment was
disposed.
• 17,262 loads of sediment was processed in the plate
and frame presses.
• 690 million gallons of water was treated and
discharged.
• 545,000 "man hours" of work was completed with
no time lost due to accidents.
• Operations ran 24 hours per day, 5 days per week.
In addition to dredging, the companies began capping and
covering activities in late August. They placed about 48
acres of sand and 7 acres of sand and heavy stone layers
near Little Rapids and between Little Rapids and DePere.
Operations are expected to resume on April 5, 2010.
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
EPA Returns To Science Expo
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Lower Fox River cleanup will again be the main
focus of a booth sponsored by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency at the Schreiber & WPS Einstein
Project Science Expo on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at
Green Bay's Shopko Hall.
EPA staff will be available during the expo hours of
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions about how the
river is being protected, preserved and restored. In
addition, there will be other hands-on environmental
demonstrations that kids of all ages can check out,
including trying on a hazardous materials or "moon"
suit. Kids participating in the science fair will also find
a special EPA surprise inside their "goody bags."
This annual family event teaches kids the science fun
behind our careers. Activities allow them to explore
life, earth, physical and environmental science,
technology/engineering, space/flight and forensics.
For more information, see www.einsteinproject.org.
EPA's Kathy Clayton helps a young visitor fit into a "moon suit.
State Posts Fish Advisory Updates
By Jessica Maloney, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently
posted updated fish advisory signs around Green Bay
to reflect changes made to the consumption advice
related to several fish species.
Wisconsin DNR routinely tests fish from state waters,
including fish from the bay and the Lower Fox River.
Although the Lower Fox River cleanup is making
strides in creating a healthier ecosystem for fish, the
advisories will remain in place until the PCBs in fish
reach safe levels. In the meantime, the best way for
people to protect their health is to read the advice
for the waters in which they fish and for the type of
fish they eat. Specific advice is also posted at some
locations along the Lower Fox River and bay. It's
important to note that each stretch of the Lower Fox
River and bay has different advisories.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WISCONSIN DEFT. OF HEALTH SERVICES
Fish advisory signs are updated with consumption advice.
See State Posts Fish, Page 7
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Paper Companies from Page 1
volume of contaminated sediment dredged in a single
construction season for any environmental project," he
stated. "It represents 15 percent more volume dredged
than the original 2009 target. In addition to that, the
capping/covering work was not originally planned for
2009 but began early due to the progress being made
at other parts of the site."
As the work continued, the companies did extensive
public outreach to address the communities' concerns
regarding boat traffic, trucking and noise.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOLDT TEAM
Landfill disposal ofPCB-contaminated river sediment.
"Overall, they completed the work this year by
assembling a team of local, state, national and
international contractors that worked effectively and
cooperatively with local municipalities as well as
state and federal agencies," Hahnenberg concluded.
"The project's estimated completion date is 2017, but
given this year's progress, it may be completed a year
earlier."
«.
Out and About,
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
The Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership
is made up of U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Oneida Tribe of Indians of
Wisconsin and Menominee Indian Tribe
of Wisconsin. These partners, as well as
other supporting agencies, regularly provide
speakers to organizations in the Fox Valley
area. The following people recently made
presentations:
October
+ Jim Hahnenberg, EPA: Green Bay Sail and
Power Squadron, Green Bay; general Lower
Fox River cleanup.
+ Jessica Maloney, Wisconsin Dept. of Health
Services: National Environmental Public
Health Conference, Atlanta; "Hook, Line
and Sinker: Fish Consumption Outreach
and Education for Vulnerable Populations"
presentation.
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
The Fox River Current is featuring promising natural resource damage assessment projects in and near the
Lower Fox River.
Spotlight On:
River Restoration on the West Branch of the Wolf River
By Colette Charbonneau, U.S. Department of the Interior Restoration Program
The West Branch of the Wolf River
extends 29 miles in Menominee
County in Northeastern Wisconsin.
Historically, the river has provided
wild rice and other food sources
to the residents of the Menominee
Indian Reservation. The river
is classified as trout waters and
supports trout populations.
A sawmill located in the village
of Neopit has been in operation
for over 80 years. Logs were
traditionally stored in the mill
pond before processing. A couple
of flood events in the mid 1900s
carried logs out of the mill pond
and deposited them in a pile that
formed a jam approximately one
mile downstream from the dam.
"The logjam blocked the main
channel of the river creating
an impounded section of river
characterized by a slow, wide and
shallow stretch that caused water
temperatures and sedimentation
to increase," explained Jonathan
Pyatskowit, environmental specialist for the
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. "Before the
logjam, the river in this area consisted of narrow cold
water riffles and deep pools that were habitat for a
diverse population of aquatic life, especially healthy
native brook trout. We no longer see trout living in this
section of the river."
PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN PYATSKOV, : \
A view of the logjam before river restoration.
The Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee
Council approved funding in September 2005 from the
natural resource damage assessment settlements for
the tribe to restore the West Branch of the Wolf River.
The restoration project consisted of removing the logjam
and debris. The river was restored close to its original
channel this summer.
See Spotlight, Page 5
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Spotlight from Page 4
The river was surveyed for fish species, flow rates,
depth, width, height of water and bottom content for
the development of the final restoration of the river
channel. Stewart Cogswell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service fisheries biologist, designed the new river
channel on paper using the measurements collected
during the surveys and assisted the Menominee Tribe
in overseeing the on-site contractor.
The contractor used a "green" machine that replaced
the oil-based hydraulic fluid with biodegradable
vegetable oil so the excavator could be used safely in
the water. The logjam was removed with many of the
logs being harvested for habitat use in the water and
for bank stabilization.
The river channel was narrowed using sediment from
the river bottom to bring the river banks in. Boulders
were placed in the deep pools to create resting areas for
fish. Logs were shoved deep into
the riverbed near the shoreline in
different areas to cause sediment to
settle and naturally develop a bend
in the river. Downstream of the
construction area, a sand trap was
used to collect sediment that was
eroded due to the restoration work.
The restoration of the river channel
took two weeks to complete.
"Designing a river takes a little bit of
art along with the science," reflected
Cogswell while standing in the
river as he directed where the next
boulder should be placed.
The Menominee Environmental
Services Department will monitor
this section of the river for a
couple of years. Staff will look for
changes in the status of wild rice
stands above and below the project
site as well as any changes in the
physical attributes of the river. The
composition of fish species will also
be surveyed to determine if native brook trout use this
stretch of river again.
"This project will increase water quality in the river and
provide good habitat to promote biodiversity within the
watershed, which is a cornerstone of the Menominee
Nation's resource management activities," concluded
Pyatskowit.
The natural resource trustees are comprised of
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Oneida
Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Menominee Indian Tribe
of Wisconsin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For further information on Natural Resource Damage
Assessment restoration projects, contact Louise
Clemency, FWS Wisconsin field office supervisor, at
louise_clemency@fws.gov or at 920-866-1725.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN PYATSKC )W [T
The West Branch after the logjam was removed.
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Greg Swanson Retires From Wisconsin DNR
By Tom Turner, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Greg Swanson has made a career managing information
on very large and important public projects in Wisconsin.
When he started at the Department of Natural Resources
as a senior public affairs manager in 1999, one of his first
assignments was managing information for the estimated
$700 million, multi-decade cleanup of the Lower Fox
River in northeastern Wisconsin.
In 1999, the project's focus was on completing the
pilot dredging in deposits N and 0 and completing the
remedial investigation and feasibility study to get the
proposed cleanup plan out to the public. There was
considerable controversy among the public, the agencies
involved and the paper companies - about how to solve
the river's PCB problems. Options included dredging,
capping, doing nothing and landfilling. Discussions also
centered on which agency was responsible for which
actions and how to share the costs.
Today, with the project well underway, most of these
issues have been resolved. Many projects have been
completed with more in the pipeline. In addition,
the cleanup of Little Lake Butte des Morts has been
completed and the major cleanup from the De Pere Dam
downriver to the bay of Green Bay has ended its first year
of an anticipated seven-year cleanup.
When asked what he is most proud of about his
involvement in the Lower Fox River cleanup, He said,
"I guess what I'm most proud of is having been part of
a very complex, costly and controversial project that got
done because the people working on it were dedicated
professionals who wanted to see it done right."
Swanson said his 11 years at Winsconsin DNR went by
quickly and the best part of it was the huge variety of
projects he got to work on ~ rules explanations, public
outreach, emergencies like wildfires, floods, snowstorms,
video and audio productions and new technologies for
delivering information. He credits this broad spectrum
of issues and activities with keeping his life and job both
interesting and fun.
Swanson's career with the state of Wisconsin wasn't
only with the DNR. Before joining Wisconsin DNR, he
served five years as a district communications manager
for the Department of Transportation. While at DOT,
he managed information for the $450 million, 196-mile,
four-lane construction of Wisconsin's Highway 29. This
new highway is a direct, major east-west corridor carrying
traffic and commerce safely from northern Wisconsin's
west coast on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers near
Minneapolis and St. Paul, to the state's east coast on the
shores of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
Although Swanson settled in Sun Prairie 11 years ago, he
is not a Wisconsin native. He grew up in Rockford, 111.,
and has lived in Carbondale, 111.; Kearney, Neb.; Duluth,
Minn, and Wisconsin Rapids.
Before entering state service Swanson held a variety of
positions. He worked in commercial and non-commercial
radio and TV, institutional audio visual and taught
media communication in the University of Nebraska and
University of Minnesota systems. He has owned and
operated a temporary employment service agency and
a saloon where he occasionally tended bar. During his
early years, he worked in retail sales and drove garbage
and delivery trucks. As a volunteer, Swanson served as a
fireman and an emergency management technician.
Greg Swanson
See Greg Swanson Page 7
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Winter 2009
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Greg Swanson from Page 6
State Posts Fish from Page 2
In retirement, Swanson plans to keep working part time
in sales, doing some freelance audio visual and writing,
getting at those projects around the house, having a little
more time for golf, spending time with his grandkids and
maybe some traveling. Never one to rest on his laurels,
Swanson said he hopes to use the knowledge and skills he
picked up at Wisconsin DNR to do some similar work for
government agencies or in the private sector.
Swanson and his wife Gloria have been married for
39 years. Their daughter Brooke is a teacher and is
completing her master's degree at the University of
Wisconsin - River Falls campus. The couple has two
grandchildren. Kaden is 10 and Jazmin is 13.
Greg Swanson was part of the team that developed the
Fox River Current and was a regular contributor to its
pages. His skills, knowledge and cheerful way of doing
business will be missed.
General fish consumption advice for anglers,
especially women of child-bearing age and children,
is to eat smaller, younger fish. Fish that are smaller
and younger tend not to eat other fish so they don't
accumulate as many toxins in their bodies. Anglers can
still have fun fishing while taking care to limit what
they eat according to the meal frequency listed for the
fish species and location.
Updates to the consumption advisories are included
in the "Choose Wisely" publication available at local
health departments and DNR offices and at http://dnr.
wi.gov/fish/consumption/ and http://dhs.Wisconsin.
gov/eh/Fish/.
Information Available at Local Libraries
The Intergovernmental Partners invite the public to review technical reports, fact sheets and other documents
related to the Lower Fox River cleanup at information repositories set up in the reference sections of the local
libraries listed below. Information repositories at the public libraries in De Pere, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Neenah
and Wrightstown have been discontinued. Binders containing fact sheets and newsletters, however, are being
maintained at these locations as well as at the following repositories:
Appleton Public Library, 225 N. Oneida St.,
Appleton, Wis.; 920-832-6170
Brown County Library, 515 Pine St.,
Green Bay, Wis.; 920-448-4381, Ext. 394
Door County Library, 107 S. Fourth Ave.,
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; 920-743-6578
Oneida Community Library, 201 Elm St.,
Oneida, Wis.; 920-869-2210
Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington
Ave., Oshkosh, Wis.; 920-236-5205
Check out these Web sites:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/foxriver/index.html
http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/foxriver
http://contaminants.fws.gov/issues/restoration.cfm
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/nrda/index.html
An administrative record, which contains detailed information upon which the selection of the final site cleanup
plan was based, is also available for review at two DNR offices: 801E. Walnut St., Green Bay, Wis. and 101 S.
Webster St., 3rd Floor, Madison, Wis. An administrative record is also available at the EPA Record Center, 77
W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Floor, Chicago, III.
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
Superfund Division (SI-7J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Reproduced on Recycled Paper
Prepared by the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, and National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Supporting agencies include Wisconsin Department of Health Services, U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by all members of
the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership.
INSIDE
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Paper Companies Complete Dredging for 2009 1
Project Exceeds Production Goals 1
EPA Returns To Science Expo 2
State Posts Fish Advisory Updates 2
Out and About... 3
Spotlight On: River Restoration on the West Branch of the Wolf River 4
Greg Swanson Retires From Wisconsin DNR 6
Information Repository Locations 7
Web Site Addresses 7
Fox River Current is published tri-annually by
the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership.
Its purpose is to provide up-to-date information
about cleanup and restoration efforts on
the Lower Fox River. Call Susan Pastor at
312-353-1325 or 800-621-8431 Ext. 31325,
weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to request a
subscription or alternative format. Feedback
on articles and ideas for future issues are
welcome. Send comments to Susan Pastor,
EPA Superfund Division (SI-7J), 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604 or e-mail
pastor, susan@epa.gov.
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