In a letter dated May 27, 2022 concerning PFAS concentrations within the Wausau municipal drinking water system that was sent to Wausau District 3 Alderperson Tom Kilian, the Department of Health Services (DHS) provided its public health conclusions and recommendations regarding the local water samples taken in June 2019 and January 2022. The letter states that “drinking unfiltered Wausau …
ALL WELLS IMPACTED BY PFAS FOR AT LEAST MORE THAN TWO YEARS According to the City of Wausau, the levels of PFAS range from 23 parts per trillion to 48 parts per trillion depending on the well. Sampling results indicate that, for over two years, Wausau’s drinking water wells have exhibited PFAS levels that exceed the proposed standards from Wisconsin …
The comments urge environmental regulators to recognize and enforce Wisconsin’s own soil cleanup standards to define the area of remediation in the park. The DNR is currently reviewing the September 15, 2021 Site Investigation Report (SIR) from the City of Wausau and its consultants, REI, regarding Riverside Park (02-37-584785 Riverside Rail Corridor). On October 4, 2021, Citizens for a Clean …
The resolution that made state history had strong support from community members and groups, city council members, and the mayor On September 28, 2021, the City of Wausau passed what is apparently the first municipal-level Environmental Justice (EJ) resolution in the history of the state of Wisconsin. The resolution that passed was largely written by Mayor Rosenberg, based on …
8/14/21 Update: The City of Wausau has compiled written public comment that it received relating to the Environmental Justice Resolution and it can be found at the following link and embedded below. https://www.ci.wausau.wi.us/Portals/0/Departments/Council/Archives/Council/Council/2021/COUN_20210810_Packet3.pdf According to multiple local news sources, the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce has come out as the main opponent to Wausau’s Environmental Justice Resolution. Interestingly, the …
Contamination identified at 360 and 372 Grand Avenue includes, but is not limited to, Tetrachloroethene (Perchloroethylene), PAHs, and Arsenic. The site is the latest in a string in Wausau to encounter problems potentially associated with historic fill in the subsurface. The Grand Avenue property earmarked for the future Community Partners Campus is now an open DNR Environmental Repair Program (ERP) …
According to the DNR’s online database, the former Wausau Center Mall property is now listed as an open DNR Environmental Repair Program (ERP) site, showing a start date of July 1, 2021. The DNR’s website lists Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Lead as substances at the 301 Washington Street property. Documents that had been submitted to the DNR can be …
In a June 11, 2021 letter, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conveyed to the City of Wausau that a broad analyte list is necessary to identify potential contamination at 1300 Cleveland Avenue given the historic practice of dumping hazardous substances at the site. The DNR requested that compounds associated with lacquers and varnishes, specifically bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, be included in …
The City of Wausau is entertaining Environmental Justice approaches that are commonly used by state and federal agencies, and that were started under the Bush administration in the early 1990s. For decades, the EPA has leveraged Environmental Justice approaches and policies. Environmental Justice “is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or …
Environmental and Public Health Groups Announce Legal Action to Defend Communities from Toxic Chemical Lawsuit Brought by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce June 14, 2021 Press Release Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA) filed a request to intervene in a lawsuit initiated by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce that threatens to fundamentally undermine the Spills Law—a bedrock environmental and public health protection that keeps …
The EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool. It is based on nationally consistent data and an approach that combines environmental and demographic indicators in maps and reports.
An air permit search tool from the Department of Natural Resources. Search for information on individual permits, and copies of permits and related records.
DNR Pages for Sites of Interest on Wausau’s Southwest Side
