WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — More discussion about soil testing in Wausau’s Riverside Park was held Tuesday evening as part of a special meeting of the Parks and Recreation Committee.
According to Chairman of the committee Pat Peckham, it was a step towards resolving the much-talked-about debate to determine just how safe the park is.
“We don’t know what’s there,” said Peckham. “We know that there were exceedances at one test site in the park in I think it was 1996, I’m not dead sure of the date. What the city is doing is to find out if the residents of our city are in any danger and to put their minds at ease.”
Peckham went on to add that the city does “have a sense that we don’t have a problem there, which is why we let people roam around freely in the park and we aren’t doing anything about it. But we don’t know, know, know that.”
After a 35 minute presentation by Tom Killian of Citizens for a Clean Wausau, the committee heard reaction from a representative of the consulting firm REI before a motion to recommend testing at 20 different sites in the park was made. That motion eventually morphed into a recommendation to allow REI to digest the data presented and come back with their take during the August 5th Parks and Rec meeting.
Among the recommendations brought forward by Citizens for a Clean Wausau were:
- Determine if soil levels in the park have declined enough over time to now be within Wisconsin Soil Cleanup Standards (WSCS) levels
- They want a citizen monitor present during soil testing
- They want mercury included in the metals
- They want testing culverts in the area
Wauleco is currently working with a DNR-approved lab to test a handful of surface soil samples in the park. Based on the results of those tests, they could be held responsible for remediating some of the soil in the park.
The contamination is believed to have stemmed from past burning practices near the site.
Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke took the podium and reminded the committee that whatever they recommend will have to be approved by both the city’s finance committee and eventually the full council as well. Mielke also expressed concern about the unknowns in the soil, which Peckham echoed.
“If Wauleco, the polluter, if they find contamination in the neighborhood they will be made responsible for that contamination. If we find it, it’s on us.”
During that discussion committee member Dennis Smith surmised that had the city known about the potential problems on the site before taking over the property they may have thought twice about taking the land.
“I know they say don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but [in this case] the city should have given this horse a full physical,” said Smith.
Further action is expected during the August 5th Parks and Recreation committee meeting.