DATE: September 27, 2006
The Badger Interim Oversight Management Commission (IOMC) convened at The Badger Army Ammunition Plant for its eighth regular meeting on Wednesday, September 27, 2006.
Lance Gurney, interim Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:45 pm.
Commissioners present: Rich Evans, WDNR; Bill Wenzel, Sauk County; Richard Grant, Town of Merrimac.
Liaison representatives present: Rick Walgenbach, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, and Joan Kenney, U.S. Army.
Stakeholder representatives present: Laura Olah, Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger; Don Hammes, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation; Dean Tom Pleger, University of Wisconsin- Baraboo; Eugene Robkin, City of Baraboo; Bill Stehling, Village of Sauk City; Verlyn Mueller, Badger History Group; and Karl Hakanson, The Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance.
Others present: Lance Gurney, Interim Chair, Sauk County Dept. of Planning and Zoning; Dave Tremble, Sauk County Dept. of Planning and Zoning; Craig Karr, Wisconsin DNR, and members of the public.
Gurney asked members to review the agenda. The agenda was approved by consensus.
Laura Olah reported that Samantha Greendeer had called her from Washington, D.C. to say she could not attend tonight’s meeting.
Tom Vorath, representing the Sauk County Ridgerunners ATV club, requested that the OMC consider ATV use of the property for disabled persons. Gurney suggested that following an OMC evaluation of the proposal, applying the evaluation criteria identified in the Badger Reuse Plan, that the proposal be discussed with the individual landowners.
Joan Kenney, Badger Installation Director discussed the demolition of the main powerhouse, and predicted that the Old Acid plant would be demolished this fall. Keeney referred to the Badger website for further information about demolition and environmental remediation, at www.tgimap.net/Badger. Log in as “guest” and enter the password “badger”.
Deb Wells, Bluffview Sanitary District, reported on negotiations between the Army and the Bluffview Sanitary District.
Rick Walgenbach, DFRC, reported that the new equipment storage building just east of the big bend in USH 12 is complete.
Rich Evans discussed the clay borrow pit issue and diversion of water flows from the area of the oleum landfill, to prevent affects on Otter Creek flows.
Karl Hakanson argued that the digest concept is a good idea.
Gurney mentioned that the Section 106 study should be complete by the end of 2006, with transfers occurring in the 2 nd half of 2007 if the Army can finalize the FOSTs.
Dan Hammes asked for a list of milestone events such as the completion of the Section 106 studies with estimated timelines for completion.
Olah asked if a revised copy of the railway easement is available. She then reported that the RAB approved a resolution supporting testing of groundwater in the northeast corner of BAAP, the area of the deterrent burning ground. She mentioned that DNT had been detected in monitoring wells just west of Wiegand’s Bay. The Resolution asked that wells within ½ mile of Badger be tested. She reminded members that there are no off-site monitoring wells in the Town of Merrimac. Olah reported that DNT had also been detected just north of the Village of Prairie du Sac municipal well, and that RDX (high explosive) was found. Olah distributed a map of the results of well-sampling in the area conducted in March, 2006.
Gurney moved to the next agenda item, the role of the Oversight Management Commission. He pointed out that the reuse Plan discussed the role of the OMC at length, that the OMC was specifically authorized the Memorandum of Understanding, and that its structure and responsibilities were spelled out clearly in the Intergovernmental Agreement. He asked members to review those documents for discussion at the next OMC meeting.
Gurney then presented a sample Resolution Requesting funding and completion of a Comprehensive Groundwater Analysis In and Around the Badger Army Ammunition Plant, Sauk County, Wisconsin.
Joan Kenney said that Spec-Pro, the Army’s contractor at Badger, has nearly completed a groundwater study, and that the members should identify the boundaries of the proposed study to determine whether the ongoing work might satisfy a major part of the need. She said the current study is three-fourths complete and will be presented to the RAB. Kenney said that copies of RAB minutes will be emailed to OMC members.
Pleger noted the value in two independent studies, one commercially produced, one produced by public agencies.
Robkin agreed that gaps in Spec Pro coverage could be identified to focus additional study efforts.
Grant recommended moving forward to produce the study, and suggested testing every well from Charlie’s store (on State Highway 78 west of Merrimac) to Heffron’s development (Water’s Edge).
Kenney responded that the Army needs sufficient scientific basis for additional monitoring. The Spec Pro study is designed to provide that basis. Currently detected levels do not exceed the PAL, the Division of Health’s “Preventative Action Limit”.
Grant responded that the study of a perception of groundwater flow won’t convince people that their water is safe, and that simple political considerations “suggest” testing every well.
Olah said that either every well can be tested now, or wait until the wells are contaminated, but that since even low levels of DNT have not been determined to be safe for women and children, a pro-active approach would be appropriate, ie. to do something more than simply what the law technically requires.
Gurney moved to the next agenda item: Land Uses Evaluated by the Reuse Committee, briefing members on the items in the list, for informational purposes.
Jen Stewart, of the Sauk County Land conservation Department, appeared to present information about the Otter Creek Watershed Project. She distributed maps of the project area, and described the project as a response to decades of troubles, especially flooding, and as an attempt to address the issues on a watershed basis. Stewart reported that flooding had occasionally blown sediments out of the channel into surrounding fields. She mentioned that flooding in Otter Creek has a long history, and was mentioned in Erhardt Mueller’s books and is documented by the U.S. Geological Survey. She described the Stone’s Pocket Valley as probably a glacial lakebed, with underlying rock or clay that prevents percolation.
Hammes asked if the trout fishery in Otter Creek is still viable. Stewart said the upstream stretch is, and that the DNR is interested in restoring the downstream stretch.
Hakanson suggested including the Otter Creek meeting notes as part of the Digest materials. Stewart told members that the next Otter Creek meeting is scheduled for October 30 th. It will address impacts of runoff from USH 12.
Members scheduled the next OMC meeting for Wednesday, November 29thy, at 6:30.
Gail Lamberty reported that the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance would hold its annual Prairie Festival on Saturday November 4 th.
One individual asked how the wells are selected for monitoring.
Tom Volrath commented on the surprising “complexity” of the issues being discussed.
Robkin, Olah and Kenney discussed the PCB contamination issue. Robkin asked for PCB quantity data. Olah asked for the state of the inventory. Kenney said it is on the way, and mentioned the Army’s interest in a “paint stripper” that pulls PCBs out of paint.
Motion to adjourn by Grant, second by Hammes.
Motion Carried.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.