Ashland Waterfront Project Site Remediation History

Widespread volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) contamination have been identified on the site, along with high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at a "tar dump" at the base of the bluff. Contamination has been identified in the sediment off of the site in Lake Superior. The contamination extends into the shallow aquifer at a depth of 26 feet and well into a deep aquifer beneath the old MGP. Contaminated sediments extend to a depth of 12 feet or more.

During exploratory work by Northern Environmental Technologies (NET) on the water front for the expansion of the City's waste water treatment plant in 1989, the groundwater and soil were found to be contaminated with creosote and coal tar compounds. The City notified the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In 1994, the DNR commissioned Short Elliot and Henderson (SEH) to characterize the extent of the contamination at the site. The reports that SEH has produced include: Remedial Investigation (July 1994), Sediment Investigation (July 1996), Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment (June 1998), Ecological Risk Assessment (October 1998) and Remediation Options (December 1998).

NSP commissioned Dames & Moore to characterize the extent of the contamination at the site and review and comment on the SEH reports. The reports that Dames and Moore have produced include: Site Investigation (August 1995), Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment (March 1999), Ecological Risk Assessment (March 1999) and Remediation Options (March 1999). On June 7, 1999, DNR issued comments on the March 1999 D&M report.

Most recently the US EPA has been asked to “score” the site to determine if it should be on the National Priorities List (NPL). WDNR, along with NSP and other stakeholders are building a decision matrix, which will be used to develop the site remediation plan.

Community Partner Organizations

TOSC has developed partnerships with a several Ashland and northern Wisconsin citizens groups. Groups interested in the Ashland site include the League of Women Voters, Green Onion Resource Center, Alliance for Sustainability, Inland Sea Society, Lake Superior Alliance, and Bay Area North Guard. TOSC has also met with representatives of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians and Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Indians. The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute is working with TOSC its dual role as assistance provider and community stakeholder in the cleanup of the Ashland waterfront.

TOSC has also met with representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the City of Ashland and Northern States Power Co.

Summary of TOSC assistance

On July 12 and 13, TOSC met with community stakeholders, including citizens groups, city officials, Northern States Power Company (NSP) officials, tribal leaders and others. For more about the Ashland site and TOSC's involvement, see the July 15 Ashland Daily Press. During the meeting, Ashland citizens described their concerns and suggested areas of investigation for TOSC.

For more on citizen questions and concerns, follow this link.

On January 13, TOSC and the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute held a joint Education and Information Session with community stakeholders. For more about the session, click here for a detailed description of the meeting and a complete set of the documents TOSC and the SOEI distributed.

On February 17, a meeting was held on Risk Assessment. The materials provided are available by clicking here.

The April 13 meeting focused on the topic of Ecological Risk Assessment and included presentations by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Northern States Power, the Lake Superior Research Institute and TOSC. For more information on the meeting, including presentation materials and fact sheets, click here.

Current TOSC activities

Work Plan
TOSC has developed a work plan for technical services, which has been approved by Ashland citizens groups. The work plan is available in both HTML and PDF formats.

Memorandum of Agreement
TOSC has written a Memorandum of Agreement, which specifies the nature and scope of TOSC involvement in the Ashland Waterfront Project. That memorandum has been signed by representatives from both the Lake Superior Alliance and the Ashland/Bayfield County League of Women Voters. The memorandum is available in HTML format.

Technical Comments on Cleanup Criteria
At the request of Ashland citizens and Wisconsin DNR, TOSC has submitted comments on DNR's remedy selection criteria. Those criteria will form the basis for selecting a remedy or remedies for the Ashland site. TOSC comments are available in HTML format.

University Partners

The Michigan State University Office of the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic Center for Hazardous Substance Research (GLMAC) is leading the project.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy offers project support.

Contact Information

Kirk Riley, 800-490-3890, rileyki@egr.msu.edu
Michael Lang, 800-490-3890, langmic1@egr.msu.edu
Dr. Thomas Voice, 800-490-3890, voice@egr.msu.edu
Dr. Karen Chou, 800-490-3890, chouk@egr.msu.edu
Dr. R. Jan Stevenson, 800-490-3890, rjstev@msu.edu

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