An update from Mercury Marine to Property Owners Along the Cedar Creek

In the Fall of 2002, Mercury Marine entered into an order with the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate environmental conditions along Cedar Creek downstream of the Ruck Pond Dam.  In order to conduct the investigation Mercury Marine will need to take samples from property located along the Creek and analyze these samples for Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

This information sheet is provided to answer some of the questions you and your neighbors may have about how the work will affect you and your property.  If needed, you can get more information by calling: Tom Baumgartner (Mercury Marine’s local project coordinator) at 920-929-5379; Tanya C. O’Neill (Foley & Lardner) at 414-297-5836; or Susan Pastor (Community Involvement Director, US EPA) at 312-353-1325.

What are PCBs?
Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs area family of man-made chemical compounds once produced and used widely in manufacturing processes and as fire retardants in electrical components.  Although PCBs are no longer used commercially, they can still be present in the environment.

Why are PCBs Being Studied on the Cedar Creek? 
As you may know, PCBs have been found at the former Mercury Marine plant in Cedarburg and in some soils along Ruck Pond and Hamilton Pond.  Based on prior work, some soils along those portions of Cedar Creek between Ruck Pond and the confluence with the Milwaukee River may also contain low levels of PCBs.  EPA, therefore, has directed Mercury Marine to study this area. 

Are There Other Studies of PCBs Being Conducted?
Yes, Amcast Industrial Corporation also is working with EPA to conduct an investigation of PCBs in the area around its plant and Zeunert Park. That study is separate from Mercury Marine’s.

Why Does Mercury Marine Want Your Help?
Mercury Marine needs your cooperation and permission to collect soil samples on your property near Cedar Creek.  You property is part of the EPA directed creek-wide study expected to cover at least 5 miles of Cedar Creek and involve the collection of hundreds of soil samples. Please click here for an access agreement that we request you sign and send back to:

Ms. Tanya O'Neill
Foley & Lardner
777 E. Wisconsin Ave. Ste. 3800
Milwaukee WI 53202-5367

By granting access to your property, you and your neighbors will allow the EPA and us to gain a much clearer understanding of whether PCBs are present and in what amounts.  When the study is complete we will be happy to provide you with the results.  The study results will also be provided to the EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

What Will Happen During Sampling on My Property?
We expect the Creek-wide sampling program to begin sometime this summer and last into the Fall.  When it comes time for your property to be sampled, Mercury Marine will use its best efforts to give you prior notice before entering onto your property.  Sampling will be done very close to the Creek in an area called the flood plain.  Sampling will only be done between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and will likely take no more than one hour to complete.

The sampling itself involves a small team of highly trained workers, who will remove very small amounts of soil using a hand-auger, 3” in diameter (see picture below).  Soil will be removed from each boring into a 6-oz. jar for laboratory analysis.  Mercury Marine and its team of samplers are expected to collect samples from no more than three locations on your property.  When finished, we will replace soil that was removed with new soil and cover the location with grass that was removed. 

Along with the small amount of hand-held equipment needed for the work, the sampling team will have surveying equipment with them to identify the location of each sampling point.  The area from which the samples were taken will be marked with a stake that will remain on your property during the investigation.  Using this information, maps can be created of the Creek to help all of us, including EPA and DNR, understand where PCBs are and are not located, and at what levels.

3” Diameter Hand-Held Auger	Hand-Held Auger