WPSC Oshkosh MGP Site
Site Information
- Oshkosh, WI (Winnebago County)
- EPA ID# WIN000509947
- This site is not on the NPL; it is a Superfund Alternative Site (SAS)
- CERCLIS listing
- Alias(es): N/A
Contact Information
Community Involvement Coordinator
Susan Pastor (pastor.susan@epa.gov)
312-353-1325 or 800-621-8431, ext. 31325
Remedial Project Manager
Mary Logan (logan.mary@epa.gov)
312-886-4699 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64699
Repositories
(where to view written records)
Oshkosh Public Library
106 Washington Ave.
Oshkosh, WI
Background
The 7.6-acre Wisconsin Public Service Corp. site is located in Oshkosh, Wis. The Upper Fox River borders the site to the south with Lake Winnebago about .2 miles downstream. Since 2003, the site has been owned by the City of Oshkosh and was redeveloped into a public park which includes an amphitheater and river walk. Boat docking is desired along the shoreline to enable boaters to visit the park.
WPSC owned and operated the gas plant from the 1869 to 1946 in an area that was historically industrial. Processes included coal carbonization and carbureted water gas.
Site Updates || Technical Documents || Legal Agreements
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Site Updates
March 2009
Plans for investigation of sediment, ground water and soil at six MGP sites began after a legal agreement called a consent order was signed between WPSC and EPA in May 2006. This agreement allows for further investigation of the Oshkosh site. Investigation planning is underway starting with the "completion report" which summarizes all past cleanup work completed under state programs. It also recommends additional work for areas not yet completed. Studies of the site and all remaining contamination will take place this year.
Since Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources oversaw a soil cleanup at Riverside Park in 2002, EPA's studies will focus on ground water and sediment in the nearby Fox River. Visitors to the park this summer may notice teams of workers in protective clothing. They will be using small pieces of equipment to take samples in the river on foot and from boats. This work will not interfere with summer concerts or any other recreational activities at the park and along the riverwalk.
The 2006 agreement also includes five other MGP sites in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Marinette, Stevens Point and Two Rivers, Wisconsin. A separate agreement for another site, WPSC Campmarina MGP in Sheboygan, was signed between WPSC and EPA in January 2007.
Under Wisconsin DNR oversight, various investigations have taken place since the 1990s. In 2002, a cleanup took place which included excavation, thermal treatment and removal of about 23,500 tons of highly contaminated soil and placement of a clean soil cover. Other work included building a barrier wall along the river and a ground-water control system to restrict the flow of contaminated ground water. Routine ground-water monitoring occurs annually.
Technical Documents
Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs)
EPA Region 5 is working on former MGPs in Wisconsin and Illinois.
- Community Involvement Plan, July 2008 (PDF) (16pp., 409 KB)
- Completion Report Former Oshkosh Manufactured Gas Plant (Report only) (PDF) (77pp, 745K) February 2008
- Completion Report Tables, Figures & Appendices (PDF) (348pp, 38.8MB) February 2008