Governor Doyle Highlights Next Phase of Fox River Cleanup
DE PERE - Governor Jim Doyle today kicked off the next phase of cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated sediment in the Lower Fox River adjacent to the DePere Dam. This phase of the project will remove approximately 150,000 cubic yards of highly contaminated sediment, found downstream and west of the DePere Dam.
"Wisconsin is home to some of the most beautiful lakes, streams, and scenery in the world," Governor Doyle said. "As stewards of the great land we're blessed with, we're responsible for maintaining and preserving its beauty, and need to take action when areas need cleaning. We've worked hard to make sure this project is done right, and as quickly as possible, so that this region - and all of Wisconsin - will see the economic growth that a clean Fox River will bring."
While the area near the De Pere dam contains only about 2 percent of the sediment that needs to be remediated in the lower river, it contains almost 10 percent of the total PCB mass in the Fox River. PCB contamination levels in this deposit are up to 3,000 parts per million (ppm). The cleanup goal is to remove all sediment with PCB concentrations greater than one ppm - the most aggressive standard used in any PCB cleanup project to date.
Last April, Governor Doyle announced that NCR and U.S. Paper Mills agreed to design and implement the cleanup project for the De Pere hotspot, instead of waiting for an overall agreement to be reached for cleaning up the remainder of the river, from Appleton to Green Bay.
The Governor encouraged the responsible parties to come to a final agreement on the Fox River cleanup, so as to enable continuation of the project next year, and encouraged leaders to reach a disposal agreement for PCBs removed from the river, to ensure that the cleanup process can be completed in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable financial obligation.
Governor Doyle thanked the Department of Natural Resources for taking the lead on the state's behalf, and commended all parties involved for their hard work.
"Wisconsin is home to some of the most beautiful lakes, streams, and scenery in the world," Governor Doyle said. "As stewards of the great land we're blessed with, we're responsible for maintaining and preserving its beauty, and need to take action when areas need cleaning. We've worked hard to make sure this project is done right, and as quickly as possible, so that this region - and all of Wisconsin - will see the economic growth that a clean Fox River will bring."
While the area near the De Pere dam contains only about 2 percent of the sediment that needs to be remediated in the lower river, it contains almost 10 percent of the total PCB mass in the Fox River. PCB contamination levels in this deposit are up to 3,000 parts per million (ppm). The cleanup goal is to remove all sediment with PCB concentrations greater than one ppm - the most aggressive standard used in any PCB cleanup project to date.
Last April, Governor Doyle announced that NCR and U.S. Paper Mills agreed to design and implement the cleanup project for the De Pere hotspot, instead of waiting for an overall agreement to be reached for cleaning up the remainder of the river, from Appleton to Green Bay.
The Governor encouraged the responsible parties to come to a final agreement on the Fox River cleanup, so as to enable continuation of the project next year, and encouraged leaders to reach a disposal agreement for PCBs removed from the river, to ensure that the cleanup process can be completed in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable financial obligation.
Governor Doyle thanked the Department of Natural Resources for taking the lead on the state's behalf, and commended all parties involved for their hard work.
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 7:10 PM
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