FOX RIVER
Spring 2011
Vol. 14, No. 1
Update from the Lower Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership
Report Shows Lower PCS Levels In Fish, Water
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
PCBs in Little Lake Butte des Morts have been
substantially reduced due to five years of dredging,
according to a Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources report.
The Wisconsin DNR's Post-Remediation Executive
Summary, dated March 29, 2011, details the success of
dredging from 2004 to 2009. Walleye was used as the
main indicator for human consumption. In walleye,
PCB levels were down an average of 73 percent due to
the sediment cleanup. Carp, bass, drum, and shad also
had much lower levels of PCBs. Had natural recovery
been used instead of active dredging, it would have taken
as long as 15 to 20 years to achieve the same results.
According to the report, Wisconsin's current fish
consumption advisories state that no more than one meal
per month or no more than 12 meals per year be eaten.
The report also said that sampling results from walleye
collected from the lake in 2010 "are very encouraging
and will be utilized in the state of Wisconsin's fish
consumption advisory process."
PCBs in sediment, or mud, decreased an average
of 94 percent, according to the report. It states that
samples taken last year met the goals outlined in a 2002
document called the record of decision. That document
spelled out the cleanup plan that was to be followed in
Little Lake Butte des Morts.
See Report Shows Page 7
EPA, DNR Eye Completion of Cleanup from Little Rapids to DePere
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
With April 18 marking the start of year three for off-
shore dredging in the Lower Fox River, the agencies
are hopeful that 2011 will mark the completion of one
more segment.
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hope
to complete cleanup in the stretch of river from
Little Rapids to DePere," said EPA Remedial Project
Manager Jim Hahnenberg. "We think this is a
reachable goal."
To reach this goal, dredges area expected to work
24 hours per day, five days a week, according to
Hahnenberg. "This is similar to last year," he added.
In addition to completing a second portion of the
Lower Fox River/Green Bay site, work will continue
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOLDT TEAM
This 8-inch dredge will be used to remove PCBs from the river.
See EPA, DNR Eye Page 3
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Spring 2011
FOX RIVER CURRENT
EPA Deems Staging Site Restoration Complete
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The shoreline area near Little Lake Butte des Morts where
cleanup staging sites once stood has been restored to its
original condition.
While cleanup was going on in the lake from 2004 to
2009, the staging sites were temporary homes for a water
treatment building and a dewatering system. They also
served as areas to store equipment and sand and gravel,
process dredged sediment, and park vehicles.
Before dredging of PCB-contaminated sediment began
in 2004, the area just south of and along state Route 441
in Menasha included an old farm as well as a Wisconsin
Department of Transportation easement parcel. It also
included a wetland surrounded by natural reeds and grasses.
WTM I Co. and Glatfelter, the two paper companies
responsible for the cleanup, used this area near the state
Route 441 Bridge to house their dredging operation and
sediment handling facility for about six years. After the
cleanup was completed last year, the companies were
required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to restore the
area back to its original condition.
Today, there is a wetland where the large "geotubes" used
for drying out the dredged sludge were once located. The
water treatment building that used to house large filters and
tanks is also gone. Most of the staging pad areas once used
for sediment handling and for parking vehicles and dredges
have been removed.
"It has been restored to a condition that looks as good as, or
better, than when they started," said EPA Project Manager
Jim Hahnenberg. "All of the invasive species of reed
canary grass were taken out, so it's back to a more natural
condition."
The companies also removed about 18,000 cubic yards
of compacted clay that had been placed there prior to
installation of some synthetic liners used during the
construction of the dewatering area. They also removed
11,500 cubic yards of pre-existing fill material, cut a
meandering channel to connect an existing drainage ditch
to the lake, graded the site to pre-existing elevations, built
turtle nesting areas, and created additional wetlands on the
south end of the property.
According to Hahnenberg, EPA has determined that
the cleanup standards for Little Lake Butte des Morts
have been met and that restoration of the staging site is
complete. Further information can be found in a November
2010 document called, "Remedial Action Certification of
Completion," at www.epa/gov/region5/sites/foxriver and at
the information repositories listed on page 7.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOLDT TEAM
This area, formerly used for water treatment and sediment handling operations during the cleanup, is now
restored to its original condition.
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Spring 2011
FOX RIVER CURRENT
EPA, DNR Eye from Page 1
downstream from DePere where larger dredges will
be used (The Little Lake Butte des Morts cleanup was
completed in 2009). Mud pulled from the river will
be taken to the same disposal facilities as last year.
"Since most of the sediment dredged this year
will have lower PCB levels, it can be trucked to
Veolia Hickory Meadows Landfill in Chilton," said
Hahnenberg. "Material with higher concentrations
will go to another licensed facility."
Like last year, Appleton Papers, Inc. and NCR Corp.,
the companies doing the cleanup, are coordinating
traffic with local municipalities as PCB sediment is
trucked through their communities.
In the past, company representatives met with local
officials to go over the hauling schedule, summer
school dates, and school zone traffic speeds. Special
attention to safety will continue.
All dredged sediment will still be pumped into the
dewatering facility through a pipeline. Then, the
water will be squeezed out by special equipment
called a plate and frame press. The remaining dried
sediment will be loaded on a truck so it can be
properly disposed of.
It is expected that cap and sand cover work, which
started in 2009, will also resume this year. These
techniques involve placement of a layer of sand or a
layer of sand covered by stone.
If the Little Rapids to DePere stretch is completed
this year, that will leave only one more reach in need
of active cleanup - DePere to Green Bay. Two other
parts of the project, Appleton to Little Rapids and
Green Bay, will have ongoing monitoring programs
because they are expected to recover naturally. Work
is expected to continue through mid-November,
weather permitting.
*
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:
January
+ Jim Hahnenberg, Susan Pastor and Kathy
Clayton, EPA: Schrieber & WPS Einstein
Project Science Expo, Green Bay; Lower
Fox River cleanup, Superfund emergency
response, and general information.
+ BetsyM. Galbraith, U.S. FWS: Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Statewide Management Meeting,
Sheboygan; A Decade of Restoration
- The Lower Fox River/Green Bay Natural
Resource Damage Assessment.
February
+ Jim Hahnenberg, EPA: DePaul University
Environmental Class, Chicago; Lower Fox
River cleanup and Superfund process.
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FOX RIVER CURRENT
The Fox River Current is featuring natural resource damage assessment projects in and near the Lower
Fox River.
Spotlight On:
Nesting Platforms for Forster's Terns
By Betsy M. Galbraith, Fox River/Green Bay NRDA Trustee Council Coordinator
Forster's Terns were once considered
common summer residents in the Green
Bay area. They relied on the coastal
marshes, nesting on the ground or within
floating clumps of vegetation near the open
water. Their numbers dwindled drastically
over the last century due to contaminants
and habitat loss. The bird has been listed
as a state-endangered species since 1979.
Today, Forster's Terns are seen
sporadically on Green Bay in late spring
and summer. No nesting attempts have
been documented in recent years. There
are only a few small nesting populations of
Forster's Terns remaining on inland lakes
in central and southern Wisconsin.
Recognizing the decline of this important
species, the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources spearheaded a project
to construct 16 PVC platform "clusters"
during the 2010 nesting season within the Green
Bay West Shore Wildlife Area. The platforms were
constructed in the Peshtigo Harbor, Oconto Marsh,
and Sensiba Units.
The project was funded by the Lower Fox River/
Green Bay Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Trustee Council using settlement dollars. The
ultimate goal of the project is to restore a nesting
population of an injured species to the bay.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE READ
Forster 's Terns breed primarily in marshes along the coasts during the winter.
"Re-establishment of nesting colonies will
significantly help in the recovery of this species,"
said John Huff, Wisconsin DNR wildlife biologist
who oversees habitat restoration projects on the West
Shore.
Typical nest sites are found in good-sized wetlands
or marshes containing large areas of vegetation such
as cattail, bulrushes, giant reed grass, arrowhead, or
bur-reed. Nests are located with open water nearby
See Spotlight, Page 5
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Spring 2011
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Spotlight^row Page 4
and can be placed on muskrat houses, near cattail
bases, on floating vegetation mats, or on dredge spoil
islands.
Each cluster contains five or six, 25 square-foot
platforms arranged around native vegetation in an
emergent marsh. The platforms were placed in areas
where the Forster's Tern had attempted to nest in past
years.
The floating platforms are water-permeable to
support the nests that Terns will construct from native
vegetation. Along with the nesting platforms, 18 Tern
decoys and two audio players were also purchased to
attract them. The decoys have been
successfully used in other Tern
nesting projects and audio players
broadcast the recorded calls of
Terns.
In 2010, the three nesting sites
were monitored for Tern activity
throughout the late spring/
early summer nesting season.
Unfortunately, no Terns nested on
the platforms and very few were
seen on Green Bay during 2010.
Wisconsin DNR staff will use
what they learned last field season
to refine their techniques for the
upcoming 2011 field season.
Specific improvements to be made
this year include decoy placement,
effective use of the audio devices to
transmit Tern calls, and sturdiness
of the platforms when used by
other wildlife species. In the
future, Huff said he hopes to see
Tern chicks hatching from the
nesting structures. "That will be the ultimate success
for this species," he declared.
The Green Bay West Shore Wildlife Area has 11 units
between Green Bay and Marinette. Each unit has a
map and description on the Wisconsin DNR website.
For more information, go to www.dnr.wi.gov/org/
land/wildlife/wildlife_areas.
The natural resource trustees are comprised of the
Wisconsin DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Menominee
Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN HUFF
A decoy is used to attract adult Forster 's Terns for nesting.
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FOX RIVER CURRENT
Army Corps To Continue Green Bay Dredging
By Susan Pastor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Plans are underway for the Army Corps of Engineers
to resume dredging in the Lower Fox River near three
Green Bay area highway bridges.
The Corps will be in Green Bay dredging near the
Interstate 43 bridge and the "railroad bridge" near the
Georgia-Pacific plant. In addition, dredging is also
planned near the U.S. Highway 172 bridge which runs
from Allouez to Ashwaubenon.
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Remedial Project Manager Jim Hahnenberg, dredging
is expected to begin this spring. "In our discussions
with the Corps, we indicated that, given last year's good
results and low PCB concentrations in their dredge areas,
they will not need to do turbidity monitoring to measure
water clarity this year," he explained. "However, they
will again be using special equipment."
This equipment will include a mechanical environmental-
type closed bucket dredge with "baffles and seals." A
baffle is a device that slows down movement of the
water and mud. The intent of the seal, similar to a rubber
gasket, is to prevent contaminated water and mud from
leaking. "They help contain the PCB-contaminated
sediment during removal," said Hahnenberg.
Unlike navigational dredges, this type of bucket dredge
shouldn't stir up the sediment. "When we dredge, the
idea is to remove contaminated sediment while releasing
as little of the PCBs as possible," Hahnenberg continued.
"This reduces the potential for re-contamination in areas
outside the dredging area."
The work is detailed in a 2010 "interagency agreement"
between EPA and the Corps. The agreement, as well as
other related documents, is available at the information
repositories listed on page 7 and at www.epa.gov/
region5/sites/foxriver.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOLDT TEAM
Army Corps dredging equipment uses a "bucket" device to contain PCBs.
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Spring 2011
FOX RIVER CURRENT
Report Shows from Page 1
Wisconsin DNR Wastewater Engineer Gary Kincaid,
who has worked on the Lower Fox River project for 14
years, said these results are unprecedented nationally.
"They confirm the record of decision was on target
in the type and level of cleanup that was needed," he
added.
PCBs were also much lower in the water column after
the cleanup was completed.
"We are very pleased that PCB levels have decreased
even faster than expected in fish and water in this part
of the river," Kincaid added. "We look forward to
finishing the cleanup plan in the remainder of the river."
Although the companies responsible for the cleanup,
WTMI Co. and Glatfelter, finished the work nearly
two years ago, it will take several more years to gain a
full understanding of the cleanup's effects. This will be
accomplished as more information is gathered through a
long-term monitoring program.
To view the report, go to http://go.usa.gov/bag.
Information Available at Local Libraries
The Intergovernmental Partners invite the public to review technical reports, fact sheets, newsletters
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.
• 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
In addition, fact sheets and newsletters only are maintained at the public libraries in De Pere,
Kaukauna, Little Chute, Neenah and Wrightstown.
Check out these Websites:
http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/foxriver
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/foxriver/index.html
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 cleanup
plan was based, is available at:
• Wisconsin DNR, Northeast Regional Office, 2984 Shawano Ave., Green Bay, WI
• Wisconsin DNR, Bureau of Watershed Management, 101 S. Webster St., 3rd Floor, Madison, WI
• Appleton Public Library, 225 N Oneida St., Appleton, WI
• Brown County Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay, WI
• EPA Record Center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Floor, Chicago, IL
7
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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
Report Shows Lower PCB Levels In Fish, Water
EPA, DNR Eye Completion of Cleanup from Little Rapids
EPA Deems Staging Site Restoration Complete
Out and About. . .
Spotlight On: Nesting Platforms for Forster's Terns
Army Corps To Continue Green Bay Dredging
Information Repository Locations
Website Addresses
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2
3
4
6
1
7
Fox River Current is published tri-annually by
the Fox River Intergovernmental Partnership.
Its purpose is to provide 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.
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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