Fox Valley Sierra Group Fox River PCB Issue

The Fox River, running from Lake Winnebago to Lake Michigan, is polluted with toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination in the river sediment. Cleanup proposals range from covering the river bottom with a "cap" to hide the pollution, to actually removing the PCB contamination. The Sierra Club, and other environmental groups, are in favor of removing the contamination (through dredging) and having the polluters (the paper companies) pick up the costs.

For many years the issue of how and what to cleanup was debated. The polluters wanted the least expensive solutions. The citizens wanted better solutions. We had already been deprived of many of the values of our beautiful river due to the contamination. It was only fair to have the polluters restore it as quickly as possible. Furthermore, PCB contamination was leaving the river and flowing into Lake Michigan where it would be impossible to remove.

Eventually a decision was reached. It was less thorough than Sierra Club or other environmental groups wanted. But it would get a reasonable job done. The river would be dredged, removing contaminated sediments. The river would still be contaminated, but at a reduced level. The dredgings would be buried in landfills. Science suggests that landfills are a safe way to deal with the contaminated sediments. But Sierra Club argues that vitrification is a better way to deal with the contaminatated dredgings. Vitrification burns and melts materials into safe glass at high temperatures. While expensive, the costs of trucking deposits to landfills is not much cheaper.

Recently the paper companies reopened the case. They have discovered that the river is more contaminated than initially believed. And they claim that the cost of dredging and landfilling will be higher than than than they had agreed to. They say that only parts of the river should be dredged. They say that the other dangerous parts of the river should be capped.

Capping involves covering over the river bottom with a new layer of sand and gravel.

Sierra Club says that capping is not appropriate. CLEAN UP not COVER UP.

Capping is only temporary. It will not last. Ice, storms, and motor boating activity will disturb the cap. Eventually it will need to be replaced or removed. Much better to deal with the problem now!


Fox River Watch page
Wisconsin DNR info page
US Environmental Protection Agency info page
EPA newsletter proposing changes in 2006 (PDF)

Article for Muir View, November 2006
Article for Fox Valley Newsletter, January 2007

December 2007

There are again proposed changes to the cleanup plan. Comments can be sent by 01/31/08 to the EPA. See this link about the cleanup plan.

Thank you to the approximately 300 people who showed up at the 12/05/06 Public Meeting at the Green Bay (Brown County) Public Library. About 2/3 of the people were against the proposed capping process.

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