Damakant Jayshi
A consultant’s report on environmental cleanup at Wausau’s Riverside Park shows significant contamination persists in some areas, prompting a city alder to press for cleanup.
Alder Tom Kilian spoke Monday during an update on the park’s Department of Natural Resources-ordered environmental remediation and pointed to test results that show at least one area sampled has a dioxin level TEQ 10 times higher than the state standard. The figure is outlined in a soil analysis report from REI Engineering, Enc.
While the sampled site is within the park, Kilian said, the contamination has likely spread to nearby areas. The alder said the working concern and assumption was that if it was immediately at the property line, “then it may have migrated onto the adjacent property” of a resident.
But city officials appeared dismissive of the high toxicity level of the soil sample at the site and at least one official was unaware of the high level recorded.
At least one excavated soil sample site, S36, has a total dioxin level of 50 TEQ or toxicity equivalent calculations. Sample sites S27 and S29 also show nearly 40 and 50 dioxin levels, respectively. The state standard is 4.82 for non-industrial sites.
Kilian shared a DNR requirement for similar sites where site-specific clean-up levels, CULs, are applicable to off-site area contamination too. That requirement, spelled out in 2020, was in relation to Koppers Inc. facility in Superior, Wisconsin.
Kilian said that DNR’s requirement for the Superior site was applicable to Riverside Park sites too.
According to the DNR, the acceptable cut-off limit for recreational sites like parks is 13 and for industrial sites is 22. The dioxin level at the soil sample S36 exceeds every metric by a large extent.
Dioxins are highly toxic compounds and can cause cancer.
“My understanding of Wisconsin administrative code is that the full lateral and vertical extent of soil contamination must be defined,” Kilian told Wausau Pilot & Review when asked to share what she was seeking. “Given the elevated dioxin level of sample S36, among others, which are located at the park’s property boundaries, it appears that the contamination has not been fully defined.”
The alder from Dist. 3, where the contamination was detected, said it is the responsibility of the DNR to make sure that residents’ health and property are protected from contamination that may have migrated.
“It is certainly not, or should not be, the responsibility of residents to deal with a polluter’s mess that may have migrated onto their land,” he said.
The statements were made Monday during the committee meeting, where he also objected to a suggestion from city officials that remediation is a responsibility of the residents.
“As a government, we should be assisting our community to make sure that they don’t have levels 10 times over the state standard in their backyard and that’s something that’s a role of government to assist them,” he said.
Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Director Jamie Polley disagreed with the conclusion that the dioxin level was 10 times higher. She said the report given to them showed the contamination was a little higher than the limit – but not by 10 times.
Public Works Director Eric Lindman said the city was only responsible for Wausau-owned properties for the purposes of the closure of a site and that the DNR has to make the decision on whether further testing is required, who’s going to be responsible for that and whether there will be responsible party letters to residents.
“Those are the things we have to work out with the DNR,” Lindman said.
Kilian said he would not support the site’s closure until the contamination is defined. “We see from these confirmation results that it has not been, since there are still significant exceedances at the edge of the excavation.”
Lindman stressed the city is meeting its requirements for the sites it was responsible for.
“If the City Council wants to get together and do something more at the city level, then that’s a decision for the body,” Lindman said. “But at this point, anything beyond what we were given, you know, those determinations, and how to move forward is going to be with the DNR.”
Kilian said that Wausau City Council should ensure that citizens are not victimized “in a case like this and protect their interests.”
