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EPA terminates review of Georgia-Pacific PCB landfill proposal

Release Date: 07/27/2006
Contact Information: Mick Hans, (312) 353-5050, [email protected] Susan Pastor, (312) 353-1325, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA133


CHICAGO (July 27, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has formally terminated its review of Georgia-Pacific's proposal to use its Green Bay landfill for PCB-contaminated sediment that will be dredged from the Fox River beginning in 2007.

The company requested a suspension of the review in a letter to EPA Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur on July 17, 2006. About 200,000 cubic yards of sediment, which contain over 50 parts per million of PCBs, is due to be removed from the river.

"While EPA has agreed to terminate its review of Georgia-Pacific's proposal, the dredging near the De Pere Dam remains on schedule for spring 2007," said Mathur. "We expect that an alternate proposal for disposal of the higher-level PCB-contaminated sediment will be forthcoming from responsible parties NCR and Sunoco-U.S. Mills."

With the review's termination, EPA has also cancelled a 60-day public comment period and a public meeting scheduled for Aug. 23. Comments already submitted to [email protected] will be retained by EPA for future consideration.

A copy of the letter and other information about the Fox River cleanup effort is at https://www.epa.gov/sites/foxriver/index.html.

In other Fox River news, under a separate agreement with WTM I and Glatfelter, dredging of PCB-contaminated sediment in Little Lake Butte des Morts is continuing for a third summer. About 88,000 cubic yards of the sediment - which is less contaminated than the material that could have been sent to the Georgia-Pacific landfill and not regulated for disposal as a PCB waste - was removed in 2005. Contractors aim to remove about 160,000 cubic yards of material this summer.