Demonstration, February 27: Demand Further Soil Tests on Thomas Street

  • thomas street north side

Middle Wisconsin will be in attendance at the event below. We hope you are, too! There has rarely been such a sustained citizen-driven effort on a Wausau policy issue or project.

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Concerned citizens are invited to gather on the sidewalk in front of City Hall steps to demand further environmental testing of the neighborhood’s surface soils. This will take place at 5:30pm in front of 407 Grant Street in Wausau.

Elevated Dioxin Levels in Soils Recently Identified:  In February, private testing results of surface soils revealed exceedances of DNR non-industrial Residual Contact Levels (RCL) for dioxins on two separate City-owned properties. They are located on this segment of the Thomas Street project. But the majority of properties’ surface soils in the project footprint have not been tested. Obviously, they should be.

The DNR is taking the position at this point that they don’t have adequate information to require further testing.

The current road design should not move forward without additional testing to gauge the impacts to the community – in regard to health, the environment, and project costs — if contamination of the surface soils would prove more widespread in the project area.

Join us to support a clean and safe Wausau!

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When:

Tuesday, February 27, at 5:30pm (the Council Meeting and Vote will follow at 7pm)

Where:

On the sidewalk in front of City Hall at 407 Grant Street

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Additional Details:

Please feel free to bring signs expressing your concerns about the issue and project, for use outside of the building.

The City Council meeting is at 7pm in council chambers. The City Council will vote on whether to approve the 60% design plan for this phase of the Thomas Street Project, along with a right-of-way-plat and relocation order. The agenda is here:

http://www.ci.wausau.wi.us/Portals/0/Departments/Council/Archives/Council/Council/2018/COUN_20180227_Agenda.pdf

Importantly, these agenda items should not be approved without first testing the surface soils of the other properties in the project footprint which will be impacted and disturbed. This has not occurred.