Soil Remediation Efforts in Wausau’s Riverside Park Successful, But Some Problems Remain

Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Soil remediation efforts in Wausau’s Riverside Park were successful, but some problem areas remain.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, that's according to a consultant with REI, which stated the group that conducted sampling while nearly two tons of soil was removed from the park and replaced with clean dirt, some of those high dioxin levels are found at the edge of the park near a property line.

Another was found at the bottom of the hill, but that may not be a sign of consistent contamination. “During excavation, I realized there was a slightly larger gap than I was comfortable with between two of the samples on the sidewall. I collected another one after completion of excavation, and that one showed an exceedance,” he told the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee.

The consultant described that scenario as contamination that’s not consistent. “You can move three feet over and have an exceedance, move another three feet and it’ll be clean. Move another three feet and it’ll be ten times higher than the initial sample. So there is potential that that is what’s being seen in the park.”

The latest testing results have been turned over to the Wisconsin DNR, which will determine if any additional steps need to be taken. The DNR case manager has yet to process the findings, and any action likely wouldn’t happen until the spring.

Sampling during winter is not effective, according to the consultant. City and County Director of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Jamie Polley also updated the committee on winter recreation activities, which remain shut down or canceled for the season except for the Sylvan Hill tubing area.

“We’ve been grooming as the temperatures allow,” said Polley. “We have been open regular hours, as posted, and will stay open as long as weather allows. If anything we’ll keep one hill open if one happens to go down.”

It took more than 50 days to get a good base of snow on the hill, which she says is longer than normal. Polley said the hill has managed to hold most of that base, though they aren’t able to make any new snow with temperatures well above freezing.

That makes for a slick track when the hills open at night. “It’s fast, it’s what you want it to be for tubing, but be cautious. Our staff knows when they can allow one person to go down, or multiple [people.]”

Polley notes that Sylvan Hill and Granite Peak Ski Resort are likely two of the only outdoor winter recreation areas open in Central Wisconsin. Last week, the City of Stevens Point announced they would close the Iverson Park Winter Recreation Area and would not construct outdoor skating rinks.

Marathon County briefly opened one snowmobile trail and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing area in Nine Mile Park, only to close them a week later.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.