COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN ASHLAND/NSP LAKEFRONT SITE ASHLAND, WISCONSIN EPA ID# WISFN0507952 Prepared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with assistance from the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute and in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency January 2005 Publication # RR-726 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI 53703 Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 OVERVIEW 3 1.1 Overview of Community Involvement Plan 3 1.2 Superfund Process 3 2.0 SITE BACKGROUND 6 2.1 Site Location 6 2.2 History 6 2.3 Public Health Issues 8 3.0 COMMUNITY BACKGROUND 9 3.1 Population and Demographic Characteristics 9 3.2 History of Community Involvement 9 3.3 Key Community Issues and Concerns 10 3.4 Developing a Community Involvement Plan 11 3.5 Site Knowledge and Understanding 11 3.6 Perceptions of Health Risks 12 3.7 Communication Methods 12 4.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN 14 Appendices Appendix A: Agency Contacts Appendix B: Federal Elected Officials Appendix C: State Elected Officials Appendix D: Local Officials Appendix E: Tribal Contacts Appendix F: Local Environmental, Educational Institutions and Community Groups Appendix G: NSP - Wisconsin Contacts Appendix H: Media Contacts Appendix I: Public Meeting Locations Appendix J: Information Repository and Administrative Record Locations Appendix K: Web Site Addresses Appendix L: List of Publications Appendix M: Glossary Appendix N: Community Interview Questions Appendix O: Fact Sheets Appendix P: Site Specific Superfund Memorandum of Agreement The Ashland/Northern States Power Lakefront Superfund Site Appendix Q: Community Profile 2 1.0 OVERVIEW Superfund law, to address hazardous waste sites which posed a threat to the public’s 1.1 Overview of Community Involvement health and/or the environment. To date, Plan numerous sites nationwide have been cleaned up by EPA, in cooperation with Wisconsin Department of Natural state and tribal partners, local governments, Resources (DNR), with the assistance of community organizations, and liable U.S. Environmental Protection Agency parties, also known as Potentially (EPA) and Sigurd Olson Environmental Responsible Parties (PRP). Institute at Northland College (Institute), has prepared this Community Involvement One of the overall goals of the Superfund Plan (CIP) to serve as a framework for process is to involve the public in the community involvement and outreach decision-making process. Since community efforts associated with the Ashland/NSP residents are or may be affected by the final Lakefront site. DNR and EPA will clean-up decision, public input is critical implement the recommendations in this throughout the process. In fact, 40 CFR § plan to ensure that residents of Ashland and 300.430(c)(2) of the National Contingency surrounding communities are informed Plan (regulations supporting Superfund about the progress of the investigation and law) requires the development of a CIP to cleanup, and have meaningful opportunities specify what community relations activities to provide input into the decision-making the lead agencies (the state or federal process. agencies responsible for investigating and cleaning up a site) expects to undertake Interviews held the week of March 8, 2004, during the cleanup process. between project staff from DNR, EPA, the Institute, and Wisconsin Department of The Superfund law provides for a lead Health and Family Services (DHFS) and agency, typically EPA or a state area residents, community leaders and environmental agency, to conduct the others provide the cornerstone of this plan. cleanup or to oversee cleanup conducted by Interviewees provided valuable information PRPs. At the Ashland/Northern States about their current understanding of the Power Lakefront Superfund Site project, environmental and health concerns, (Ashland/NSP Lakefront Site), EPA and and preferences for receiving site DNR are the lead agencies responsible for information and providing input. The investigating the site, involving the agencies have used this information, and community in the decision-making process, that gained from nearly a dozen public and overseeing site cleanup. meetings and numerous other outreach efforts, to tailor this community Under the Site Specific Superfund involvement plan to the specific needs and Memorandum of Agreement (Appendix P), expectations of Ashland-area residents. EPA will serve as lead agency in overseeing the technical aspects of the Section 1.2 Superfund Process investigation and cleanup at the Ashland/NSP Lakefront Superfund site. In 1980, Congress passed the DNR will serve as lead agency in Comprehensive Environmental Response, community involvement and outreach Compensation and Liability Act activities. (CERCLA), commonly referred to as the 3 DNR has contracted with the Institute to eligible for Superfund trust money. The help design and implement these activities. public is given an opportunity to comment on the placement prior to the site being DHFS is evaluating whether conditions at listed on the NPL. the site pose a human health hazard and if so, will assess if any actions are needed to Superfund provides the EPA with a broad protect human health. range of enforcement authorities, such as searching for the entities responsible for the The overall goal of the community contamination, ordering those entities to involvement program is to promote two- perform scientific and engineering work way communication between residents and necessary to investigate, cleanup a site, the agencies responsible for cleaning up the negotiating legal settlements with PRPs to site, and to provide opportunities for investigate and cleanup sites, and taking meaningful and active community legal actions if PRPs refuse to perform or involvement in the cleanup process. This pay for the cleanup work. Community Involvement Plan provides information on: After a site is listed on the National • Issues and questions raised by residents, Priorities List, a Remedial Investigation and local officials and others during small Feasibility Study (RI/FS) is completed. At group interviews some sites, such as at the Ashland/NSP • The Superfund process Lakefront Site, the RI/FS begins before • A brief history of the Ashland/NSP listing. The RI/FS is a an intensive Lakefront Site, background on the investigation culminating in a written report community and summary of community that provides an overall picture of the involvement efforts. contaminants and the risk they pose, as well • The community involvement process as the techniques that will most likely and activities to be conducted by the correct the problems at the site. agencies • A list of information and resources The Remedial Investigation (installing available to the public. monitoring wells, taking samples, etc.) results in a definition of the nature and Public input is sought from the very extent of the contamination problem. beginning of the Superfund process. Initial contact may only involve updates on what Once the degree and extent of is happening at the site but will later contamination are defined, a range of develop into documents and informal or alternatives for correcting conditions at the formal meetings that involve more active site is developed. These alternatives are public input. further refined and summarized in the Feasibility Study. Placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), a roster of hazardous waste sites, The next stage is the proposal of a remedy. enables the site to be eligible for an The lead agency communicates its preferred extensive, long-term cleanup program that remedy in a document called a Proposal will permanently and significantly reduce Plan. The Proposed Plan is made available the dangers associated with releases or to the public to comment for a minimum of threats of releases of hazardous substances. 30 days. A formal public hearing is held to Placement on the list also makes the site describe the agency’s preferred option(s), other options considered, and to formally 4 (Map of the Superfund Site) accept the public’s oral and written public comments and decides on a final comments on the preferred remedy. remedy. Included in the ROD are a summary of the remedy’s clean-up goals, Any member of the public can provide the site background, a summary of the written or oral comments on the preferred clean-up alternatives being considered, and option or any of the other identified an explanation of the rationale used to options. The lead agency will consider the select the remedy. Attached to the ROD is comments received, which may alter or the Responsiveness Summary. change clean-up decisions made by the agency, and respond to these comments in After the Record of Decision is finalized, writing in a document called a the next stage involves the Remedial Responsiveness Summary. Design (RD) and Remedial Action (RA) stages. This is the step where the selected The final remedy(s) must protect human remedy is designed, constructed, and health and the environment. Emphasis is operated. During the Remedial Design, the put on cost-effective and permanent plans for the preferred remedy are detailed. solutions. Remedies must also comply with Specific plans and specifications for all relevant federal and state standards. conducting the cleanup are finalized. These standards cover water and air quality, and solid and hazardous waste The Remedial Action stage is the requirements. implementation phase when the proposed remedy is put in place and cleanup of the Superfund requires that a written