Tyco Fire Products has submitted a comprehensive 1000-page Site Investigation Report to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) which summarizes the investigative activities and key actions the company took before the end of December 2019.
The investigation was conducted in multiple phases and in accordance with three work plans approved by the WDNR. Here are several of the major projects outlined in the report:
- We examined the chemical makeup and extent of PFAS in groundwater soil, surface water, sediment, and storm water;
- We analyzed how PFAS does or doesn’t move through local waterways and groundwater;
- We evaluated the different depths of the area’s bedrock to examine how water flows through it;
- We installed and monitored wells, piezometers, and stilling wells to measure the flow and velocity of surface and groundwater; and
- We inspected the sewer lines leading from the Fire Technology Center (FTC), which Tyco spent more than $1 million sealing in 2019.
There are a number of important findings detailed in this report:
- PFOS and PFOA at Ditches C and E are below the WDNR surface water quality guidelines.
- PFAS runoff from the FTC only flows through one ditch, Ditch A. Since we installed the treatment system in January 2019, the majority of water with PFAS flowing from the FTC through Ditch A has been treated prior to leaving our property.
- The majority of groundwater below the FTC generally flows eastward. This is why we installed the treatment system at Ditch B, which inhibits the flow of PFAS toward Green Bay.
The report also reiterates the voluntary steps that Tyco has taken over the last year, including:
- Putting in place two advanced filtration systems at Ditches A and B, which was a critical first step to capture and filter PFAS in both surface water and groundwater;
- Providing bottled water to all residents within the study area, and offering POET systems to those with detections, regardless of whether detections were below the federal or Wisconsin health advisory levels (HAL);
- Designing a municipal water line for businesses and residences in the sampling area, and pursuing its regulatory approval;
- Installing a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system on our property;
- Assisting the City of Marinette with $3 million to help dispose of its biosolids; and
- Performing rehabilitation and maintenance of the sewer system connecting the FTC with the Marinette Wastewater Treatment Facility.
We consider the submission of this comprehensive report to be critical for the remediation of our FTC property to remain science-based and data-driven. We have a number of additional projects in the works as well, including the Green Bay surface water investigation and fish tissue sampling, and will provide the community updates on those projects once we are able to do so.
