Moving Forward
The contaminants detected at the ground surface and
in the groundwater are known carcinogens and were found
at concentrations that posed a direct contact risk to human
health and threatened the long-term use of the groundwater
resource. Treating the contaminants removed them as
a danger to the public, enhancing health and safety and
improving the overall environment.
The City of Elkhorn took ownership of a blighted
property without fear of future liability for environmental
concerns and received a property that is ready for
redevelopment or use by the City.
Tapson, the City’s administrator, said no plans are in
place for the site. Private development is a possibility, he
said, but the City will also look into public use of the land.
“The problem with redevelopment is if you’re in the private
sector and you buy that land, you buy the land and all the
encumbrances that come with it if something comes up in
the future,” he said.
The project required close coordination among
the WDNR, the City of Elkhorn, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, businesses, Ayres Associates, and
residents of the area.
Tapson credited Ayres Associates with contributing to
the encouraging outcomes at the site, including handling
the grants and coordinating the project transfer to the
WDNR. “It’s been a positive relationship over the years,”
he said about Ayres Associates. “The City wasn’t going to
do it on its own.”
Left: The Getzen Company site was graded and readied for
development after remediation. Top right: Heavy equipment
was used to prepare the Getzen site after remediation. Bottom
right: The City of Elkhorn hopes to benefit from the cleaned-up
Getzen Company site.
TRENDS
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