04/27/06 Dnr Must Confront Army On Badger's Tainted Groundwater

The Capital Times

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Laura Olah executive director Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger

Dear Editor: Even though levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) ingroundwater are at an all-time high in a monitoring well on the far west sideof the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (adjacent to the Bluffview Community inthe town of Sumpter), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources remainsunwilling to ask the Army to investigate the problem.

From September 2002 to December 2005, levels have risen from 0.7 parts perbillion to 25 ppb, far exceeding the safe drinking water standard of 5 ppb.When unsafe levels of the carcinogenic solvent were detected in groundwatermonitoring well BGM-9103 last spring, the DNR asked the Army to test sixresidential wells located on Maple Park Drive, Maple Park Road, County C, andOld Bluff Trail Road near U.S. 12. TCE was not detected in any of the wells.Because the source of the contamination, groundwater flow direction andpotential contamination problems at depth are still unknown, Citizens for SafeWater Around Badger has been asking for an investigation for more than a year.

When TCE levels rose to 14.4 ppb, nearly three times the safe standard,last summer, the DNR wrote to CSWAB: "Given the relatively low concentrationsin that well, at this point I am not going to ask the Army to completeadditional investigation into possible sources, but will require them tocontinue sampling the well. I think Army resources can be better used on otherprojects at the plant. However, if the concentrations rise dramatically, thenI may change this position and require more efforts by the Army on thismatter." So far, the DNR hasn't done so.

"If the nearby drinking water well owners have water quality questions orconcerns, we here at the department encourage them to contact us," DNRrepresentative Hank Kuehling wrote to us. His phone number is 608-275-3286, ore-mail Harlan.Kuehling@dnr.state.wi.us.

Please take a few moments and call or e-mail the DNR. Together, we can makea difference.