Dredging Through the Cleanup

By Jessica Schim

For information about the Fox River areas click on the map.

Three decades after Wisconsin paper mills dumped pollutants into the Fox River, these contaminants continue to threaten the health of fish, wildlife and even humans. Now the state and federal governments are mandating a cleanup of the Fox River and Green Bay. With a $400 million project looming, the debate over responsibility for the cleanup is as muddy as the riverbed itself, but the funding flows forward.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sufficient evidence suggests that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may cause cancer in animals. Commercial use of PCBs, the key ingredient used to recycle carbonless paper, was banned in 1979 for health concerns. Seven Wisconsin mills have been identified as potentially responsible for contaminating the Fox River with PCBs before that time. The companies include: Appleton (formerly Appleton Papers Inc.), its former owners Arjo Wiggins and NCR Corp., Georgia-Pacific Corp., P.H. Glatfelter Co., Riverside Paper Corp., Sonoco and Chesapeake Corp.

The estimated $400 million cost of the cleanup is the largest in Wisconsin history and one of the largest in EPA history. Dividing this cost fairly between the mills will depend on how much of the 65,000 pounds of contaminants the individual mills originally dumped into the river and bay. How, exactly, this would be determined remains murky.

“Any record or evidence to prove share either doesn’t exist or is difficult to find or verify with the standard of proof that is required in cases like this,” says Chris Gower, general counsel for Arjo Wiggins Appleton. “It is not an easy thing to do.”

Mill location may play a role in determining which companies are responsible for cleaning up particular areas. The river and the bay are divided into five contaminated areas, each with its own cleanup plans and expenses:

Managing the Cleanup

This year’s releases of the Records of Decision, which are detailed documents explaining the current state of the river and potential cleanup options, are a major step toward cleaning the river. But the DNR’s proposal to dredge all of the areas except Green Bay has split views on what is best for the river. The DNR calls dredging the most reasonable and economic option. However, several of the companies involved, as well as the Wisconsin Paper Council (a trade association representing the pulp, paper and allied industries), argue that capping certain contaminated areas with sand and gravel is a better alternative.

CourtesyArjo WigginsAppleton

An overview of part of the lower Fox River that needs dredging.

“It is hard to say [if capping will happen], but I would certainly hope that for parts of the river that are outside of the main channel … that it will become a viable option,” says Pat Schillinger, president of the Wisconsin Paper Council.

Paying the price for a clean environment

In addition to deciding who will pay what for the cleanup, nobody is sure who should actually tackle the task. But while these debates continue, the mills have started to take action, hoping to create noticeable ripples. The companies have continued to make contributions to both individual and joint cleanup efforts, and neither the DNR nor the EPA has taken any enforcement action yet.

For example, Georgia-Pacific contributed more than $35 million to the cleanup and this year gave $4 million for funding that the state sought for additional river monitoring.

“Our position all along has been that we recognize that we are part of the problem and need to be part of the solution,” says Al Toma, regional manager for governmental affairs for Georgia-Pacific. “That solution needs to be responsive environmentally and at the same time that solution needs to be economically viable, but I do think that it is a fair statement that we have taken a leadership role in trying to continue and see that this project is going forward.”

Other companies have made similar contributions, but this proves more difficult when new parent companies have since taken over. Arjo Wiggins Appleton is in this position as the former parent company of Appleton Papers Inc. It sold Appleton Papers to its employees in November 2001.

As a result, an agreement between Arjo Wiggins and Appleton binds Arjo Wiggins to pay for the first $75 million, with Appleton paying for the next $25 million. Arjo Wiggins will be responsible for any additional costs.

Courtesy of Green Bay Press Gazette

The cleanup of the Fox River promises to be an extremely expensive process.

Two other companies, P.H. Glatfelter Co. and WTM 1, signed an agreement to each pay $25 million for cleanup of the Little Lake Butte des Morts area. The companies will also each pay $3 million for natural resource damage to the river. This includes the expenses associated with the loss of fishing opportunities as the result of PCB pollution.

While the companies try to improve the health of the river and bay they once threatened, their large contributions may hurt the mills’ finances and the overall state of the Fox River paper industry.

"It is safe to say … that the issue of the Fox River cleanup has been a contributing factor to the decline of the paper industry in the Fox River Valley,” Gower says. “If nothing else, the issue has acted as a fetter on further investment in the Valley.”

The future of the project

During the next several months, the contributions will stream forth steadily, and the debates will continue as certain areas go forward with some initial cleanup efforts. Yet the costs and benefits of the plan may remain muddy for decades, leaving the future of the Fox River as cloudy as the river itself.

To learn more about the Fox River contamination cleanup initiatives visit these sites:

Department of Natural Resources: Visit this Web site for further information about initiatives to cleanup the Fox River.

National Cash Register: Visit this Web site to learn more about NCR and their role in PCB contamination.

Georgia Pacific: Visit this Web site to learn more about Georgia Pacific and their role in PCB contamination.

Fox River Facts: Visit this Web site to learn more in-depth infomation about the Fox River and it's future.