wEPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

For more information...

Susan Pastor

EPA Community Involvement

Coordinator

(312) 353-1325 or

(800)621-8431

weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

pastor.susan@epa.gov

Pablo Valentin

EPA Remedial Project Manager

(312)353-2886 or

(800)621-8431

weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

valentin.pablo@epa.gov

Site-related documents
may be reviewed at:

Mead Public Library

710 N. 8th St.

Sheboygan

Sheboygan City Hall

828 Center Ave.

Sheboygan

Certain EPA information can
be viewed electronically at:

http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/
sheboygan

PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls,
are toxic chemicals that were once
widely used as industrial coolants,
insulators and lubricants. PCBs can
concentrate in the environment and
the food chain, resulting in health
hazards to people, fish and wildlife.
Because of these dangers, the U.S.
government banned the manufacture
of PCBs in 1976. PCBs still in use
are strictly regulated.

First Phase of Upper River
Cleanup to Begin Soon

Sheboygan River and Harbor Site

Sheboygan County, Wisconsin	August 2004

Cleanup of contaminated soil, flood plain soil, and ground water (water beneath
the earth's surface) at the former Tecumseh facility will begin in September.
Investigation and source control will be done in the first phase of the cleanup.
EPA is requiring Pollution Risk Services (the company that bought the Tecumseh
Products Co. property in Sheboygan Falls) to look at ways to stop PCB
contamination that may be coming from soil and ground water at the facility.
The next phase will include evaluation and cleanup of stream and flood plain
soil. This work is being done according to a May 2003 legal agreement called a
consent decree.

At this time, only cleanup of the fonner Tecumseh facility is taking place.

Actual Sheboygan River cleanup is scheduled to start next year. Subsequent
phases to clean up the middle river, lower river, and inner harbor will be done
separately. The upper river will be cleaned up first so lower portions won't be
recontaminated during later phases of the project.

Cleanup plan

The goal of the cleanup is to protect human health and the environment from
the dangers posed by PCBs from the site as well as to reduce the chances of
PCBs moving into the Sheboygan River and Harbor system. As mentioned, the
first phase will identify and control the sources of PCB contamination at the
site. Ground water, PCBs heading toward the river (pathways), surface soil, and
riverbank soil will be cleaned up. For the most part, this cleanup is the same
as the process described in the final decision document called the record of
decision. However, based on additional investigation, a few minor changes were
made to the original agreement including:

•	Skipping additional pre-design investigation prior to proceeding with the
cleanup of the upper river.

•	Installing a trench to intercept ground water (and eliminating detailed studies
on the need for the trench).

•	Changing the cleanup boundaries so that all work done in the upper river
occurs at the same time to minimize disturbances to the river.

•	Doing pre-investigation work for the flood plain and upper river before the
second phase of the cleanup begins to ensure that current site conditions are
known.

•	Doing some pre-design work for the second phase while PCB removal for
the upper river continues.

These changes were agreed to by EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources.


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oEPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

Region 5

Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)	I AOO

77 W. Jackson Blvd.	NKO I V/LAOD

Chicago, IL 60604

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

SHEBOYGAN RIVER AND HARBOR SIT
: Phase of Upper River Cleanup to Begin Soon

This fact sheet is printed on paper made of recycled fibers.

Ground water cleanup activities

Ground water cleanup will include:

• Building a ground water trench to collect, contain and
control dissolved PCBs in ground water flowing from the
former Tecumseh facility to the Sheboygan River.

•	Installing additional wells near the trench to determine its

effectiveness.

•	Monitoring the ground water twice yearly for five years
at the former Tecumseh facility and then less frequently
as appropriate.

Eliminate contamination moving toward
the river

River cleanup will include:

•	Removal of PCB-contaminated material from the river-
bank area between the trench and the river.

•	Removal of contaminated soil along the underground
pipes originally used to discharge water from the former
Tecumseh facility to the river.

•	Removal of portions of these discharge pipes and the sur-
rounding soil.

Address surface and riverbank soli

Surface and riverbank cleanup will include:

•	Cleaning surface soil so that PCBs do not exceed safe
levels.

•	Removing surface and subsurface soil along the riverbank
where PCBs exceed safe levels.

Introducing...

Pablo Valentin has assumed the role of remedial project
manager for the Sheboygan River and 11 arbor Superfund
site. I le has worked for EPA since 1990, mostly in
the Superfund program. In his 14 years with EPA, he
has managed Superfund projects in Wisconsin, Ohio.
Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Among those projects are
two that involve PCBs - Ford Outfall in Michigan and
Sugar Creek in Indiana. From 1998-2002, he returned
to his home area to serve in the EPA Region 2 office
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During that time, he worked
in the water division enforcing the Clean Water Act on
water filtration plants. Valentin has a bachelor's degree in
chemical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.


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