oEB\ Completion of Upper River Cleanup Scheduled this Summer United States Environmental Protection Agency Sheboygan River and Harbor Site Sheboygan County, Wisconsin April 2007 Contact EPA For more information or questions about the Sheboygan cleanup, contact these EPA representatives: Susan Pastor EPA Community Involvement Coordinator 312-353-1325 pastor, susan a epa. gov Pablo Valentin EPA Remedial Project Manager 312-353-2886 valentin. pablo@epa.gov EPA Region 5 toll-free: 800-621-8431 weekdays, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Read the documents Site-related documents and files may be viewed at the following locations: Mead Public Library 710 N. Eighth St. Sheboygan Sheboygan City Hall 828 Center Ave. On the Web www.epa.gov/region5/sites/ sheboygan www.epa.gov/region5/sites/ campmarina Workers measure sediment at the bottom of the river to determine how much was removed during last year's upper river dredging project. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said contaminated mud will be removed from the upper Sheboygan River beginning in May. The targeted upper river area extends from the Sheboygan Falls Dam downstream four miles to the Waelderhaus Dam in Kohler (see site map on Page 2). The project will continue under EPA supervision, in consultation with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, through the fall. Sheboygan River mud or sediment is polluted by a chemical compound called poly chlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. (See box inside for more about PCBs.) The most common method of cleaning up PCB-contaminated sediment is dredging, which involves digging up and removing layers of polluted mud. Depending on how thick the layer of contamination is, it is sometimes necessary to fill in the holes with clean soil. After the sediment is dredged, the mostly liquid material is piped to an area where it can be separated from the water. The water then is treated in a wastewater plant and released back into the river. The remaining sludge is disposed of in a licensed landfill designed to hold it. Sediment dredging will begin upstream of the Riverbend Dam, then move to the stretch of river between the Riverbend and Waelderhaus dams. Pollution Risk Services, the company that bought the former Tecumseh Products facility in Sheboygan Falls, is financially responsible for this part of the cleanup. ------- Outer Inner Harbor Harbor Site map for the Sheboygan River and Harbor and Campmarhw sites. The flood plain soil along four sections of the upper river is also polluted by PCBs. EPA is working with Kohler Co. to get access to these four flood plain areas that are on Kohler property so they can be cleaned at the same time as the river. A decision on how to proceed with flood plain cleanup is expected by late May. The first phase of the Sheboygan River cleanup was done in 2004 and focused on stopping PCB soil- and ground-water contamination on the former Tecumseh What are PCBs? PCBs were once widely used by industry as coolants, insulators and lubricants. The manufacture of PCBs in the United States was stopped in 1977, but the compound stays a long time in the environment. They are linked to cancer, as well as reproductive and developmental problems in both people and animals. PCB-contaminated river sediment affects fish, wildlife and people as it rises through the food chain. In 1978, Wisconsin advised area residents not to eat fish from the Sheboygan River because of the contamination. In 1987, the state also issued an advisory not to eat wildlife from the area. The advisories are still in effect. factory property from further polluting the river. Ground water is an underground supply of fresh water. Upper river cleanup continued in 2006, paid for by PRS, which included the area between Rochester Park in Sheboygan Falls to a location about one-half mile upstream of the Riverbend Dam. According to PRS, about 602 pounds of PCB-tainted sediment was removed from this stretch of the river. The Sheboygan River and Harbor is on the National Priorities List, which makes the area eligible for cleanup under EPA's Superfund program. The entire Superfund site includes the lower 14 miles of the river from the Sheboygan Falls Dam to the inner harbor before flowing into Lake Michigan. The upper river is being cleaned first to stop pollutants from flowing downstream. EPA is also negotiating with Tecumseh Products, PRS, Thomas Industries and Kohler Co. for the cleanup of the middle river, lower river and inner harbor. Ultimately, EPA intends to clean the entire river to an average PCB level of .5 parts PCBs per million parts sediment or less. To put this in perspective, that level equals one-half drop of PCBs in 10,000 gallons of water. The sediment PCB concentration will be re-evaluated every five years after the cleanup is completed to make sure the .5 ppm concentration is not exceeded. 2 ------- Former gas plant site studied Another contaminated site on the north bank of the Sheboygan River is being studied this year. The Wisconsin Public Service Corp. Campmarina Manufactured Gas Plant on Water Street in Sheboygan includes about 1.5 acres of land and an additional 3.4 acres of contaminated area in the river. The city of Sheboygan currently owns the property. Early last century manufactured gas plants provided fuel or electricity from coal or oil and generated a lot of waste. Today, much of the waste is found to be hazardous and includes cyanides, metals, solvents and oily tars. The oily tars are composed primarily of a group of organic compounds called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs that may cause cancer in humans. Most of the PAH contamination from these gas sites is in the form of coal tar buried under soil and does not pose a direct health risk. However, if coal tar residues come in contact with skin, they can cause redness or a rash. In some people, the coal tar can cause a sunburn effect on skin. Eye irritation from coal tar residues is another hazard. In January, a legal agreement called a consent order was signed between Wisconsin Public Service Corp. and EPA. This agreement allows for a pollution investigation to begin later this year. Residents will not see any cleanup taking place at the Campmarina area this year, but work will be done behind the scenes. Cleanup in the water may start next year. The upland portion of the site (the 1.5 acres near the river) was cleaned up in 2002. Some of the PAH contamination has reached the Sheboygan River, so area residents and boaters could be exposed to the known skin irritant. It is possible that a Campmarina cleanup could eventually be tied to the Sheboygan River and Harbor cleanup. What are PAHs? PAHs are a group of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline. When coal is converted to natural gas, PAHs can be released. Some coal-gasification sites may have elevated levels of PAHs. PAHs are found in the air, water and soil and can remain in the environment for months or years. Micro-organisms can break down PAHs in soil or water after a period of weeks to months. PAHs enter water through discharges from industrial and wastewater treatment plants. Most PAHs do not dissolve easily in water. They stick to solid particles and settle to the bottoms of lakes and rivers. In soil, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to particles. Certain PAHs move through soil to contaminate underground water. The PAH contents of plants and animals may be much higher than the PAH contents of soil or water in which they live. People can be exposed to PAHs by breathing smoke, eating foods that have been grilled or by coming into contact with soil or water containing PAHs. People also may be exposed to PAHs in soil near hazardous waste sites or near areas where coal, wood, gasoline or other products have been burned. Some PAHs may cause cancer and may affect the eyes, kidneys and liver. 3 ------- sjaqy. pap/ioajp spetu jaded uo pafuud si jaai/s ;oe/ siqj_ J8iuiuns s\[\] p8|np8i|os dnueeio J8A|y jsddn jo uopidiuoQ :aiis uoauvH QNvyaAm NvoxoaaHS t?0909 II 'oBeomo ¦pAia uos>|OBp M LL (r6kd) sjjejivoiiqnd P 0o^o g uojBey AoueBv ssvio isaid uojpe^ojd |b;u8luuoj!AU3 S0;e;s P^ufl Vd3^? Sheboygan River and Harbor Site: Completion of Upper River Cleanup Scheduled this Summer (details inside) ------- |