Public meetings planned on river dredging
Plans are underway to dredge contaminated sediments out of the lower reaches of the Sheboygan River and the harbor area.
The public is invited to attend on of two meetings to learn about the next steps and to ask questions.
The first will be Thursday, Feb. 4, 7 to 9 p.m., in the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan Fine Arts Theater (park in the east parking lot).
The second will be Friday, Feb. 5, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. or later in the Conference Center at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. This presentation follows a luncheon meeting of the Sheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, but citizens not able to attend the public meeting Feb. 4 may participate during this abbreviated meeting as well.
The public meetings will discuss the present state of the Sheboygan River, the studies and analysis that have been completed recently to attack the final contaminated segments of the river, the two programs or laws that will govern the dredging project, options for dredging, timelines, and what the river will hopefully be like when the dredging project is completed. Benefits to the people in the county and the city will also be explained.
The views and perspectives of residents will also be appreciated to help formulate the final plans and goals. The presentation panel will include representatives from the EPA, DNR, county, city, and the dredging contractor.
As many residents know, 14 miles of the Sheboygan River was declared to be a hazardous waste site under federal Superfund designation in 1986. Due to the presence of contaminants, primarily polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCB’s, a fish and waterfowl consumption advisory was issued the following year.
PCB’s are a class of chemicals that were introduced into commerce in 1929. Evidence increasingly mounted as to their toxicity so that they were finally banned from production and use in 1977. But by then it was too late. Many rivers in the nation were contaminated and efforts were made to begin the cleanup or remediation of this legacy of pollution, which still continues today more than 30 years later and at a tremendous cost.
PCB’s are worrisome especially to pregnant women and to children. Children exposed to PCB’s weigh less at birth, have mental development and learning problems, decreased motor skills, and impaired memory. PCB’s also can cause skin conditions upon exposure, and may cause lowered immune system response and liver cancer in adults.
To address the issues surrounding the presence of contaminated sediments in the Sheboygan River, portions of the upper River were cleaned and dredged between 2004 and 2007. Test borings and other studies were performed during 2008 and 2009 to determine and map the extent of remaining contamination in the lower reaches of the river. The next phases of the river cleanup will involve the dredging and proper disposal of up to 200,000 cubic yards of sediment from the lower river and harbor, which requires a lot of planning and coordination, besides a lot of money.
