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Burnham Canal Site
Site Information
- Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee County)
- EPA ID# WIN000510222
- Alias(es): Miller Compressing Company (MCC)
Contact Information
Community Involvement Coordinator
Heriberto León (leon.heriberto@epa.gov)
312-886-6163 or 800-621-8431, ext. 66163
Remedial Project Manager
Nefertiti DiCosmo (dicosmo.nefertiti@epa.gov)
312-886-6148 or 800-621-8431, ext. 66148
Repositories
(where to view written records)
Forest Home Library
1432 W. Forest Home Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53204-3228
Centro de la Comunidad Unida / United Community Center
1028 S. 9th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Phone: 414-384-3100
Background
In 2008, Miller Compressing Company entered into a formal agreement with EPA to study the Burnham Canal site under EPA's Superfund Alternative Sites Program. The Superfund Alternative Sites Program takes sites that might otherwise be eligible for the National Priorities List, but which will be investigated and cleaned up by a cooperative responsible party (in this case Miller Compressing Company), without formally listing the site on the National Priorities List. Miller Compressing Company and EPA, in consultation with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the City of Milwaukee and area residents, will determine the extent of contamination on the site as well as final cleanup remedies.
The Burnham Canal used to be a federally authorized navigation channel. The site is bounded on the west by S. Muskego Avenue, on the east by S. 11th Street, on the south by Bruce Street and on the north by a rail yard. The site is located 0.4 miles south of the Menomonee River.
Miller Compressing Company currently operates a recycling facility on the site for iron and non-iron metals. Sediment in the Burnham Canal shows high levels of metals (copper, lead, cadmium, nickel, silver and zinc) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, or compounds commonly found in motor oils). A wire reclamation furnace, approximately 100 feet west of the canal, which has contributed to the contamination in the area, was used from the early 1970s to the mid 1990s for copper wire recycling. Miller Compressing Company has volunteered to address contamination from its facilities in the Canal.
Site Updates | News Releases | Fact Sheets || Technical Documents || Legal Agreements || Public Meetings
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Site Updates
September 2011
The EPA recently approved a Record of Decision which outlines EPA’s plan for cleaning up contaminated sediment (mud) and soil at the west end of the Burnham Canal Superfund site.
EPA’s final plan includes:
- Digging up highly contaminated sediment and disposing of it off-site.
- Placing 12 inches of clean cover over the sediment in the canal up to the 11th Street Bridge.
- Digging up contaminated soil on the west bank, disposing of it off-site and replacing it with clean soil.
- Restricting future uses of the property.
The cleanup will protect people and the environment, provide long-term effectiveness, and comply with state and federal environmental regulations. It can be implemented and is cost-effective. The estimated cost is $2.3 million.
Copies of the reports, proposed plan and other site-related documents are available for review at the Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave., and the United Community Center. The Record of Decision (PDF) (54pp, 1.1MB) is also available here.
News Releases
- Public Meeting on Cleanup Plan for Milwaukee's Burnham Canal - June 21, 2011
Fact Sheets
- EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for Burnham Canal, Fact sheet (PDF) (10pp, 588K) June 2011
- EPA propone plan de limpieza para Burnham Canal, Hoja de información, Spanish version (PDF) (10pp, 588K) Junio 2011
Technical Documents
- EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for the Soil and Sediment on Burnham Canal site (17pp, 318K) June 2011
- Feasibility study (PDF) (115pp, 7.6MB) May 2011
- Community Involvement Plan (PDF) (59pp, 4.73MB) March 2011 view at repository or contact Heriberto León
- Guidelines for eating fish from Milwaukee waters from City of Milwaukee Health Department (PDF) (2pp, 98K)
- Letter Health Consultation (PDF) (14pp, 346K) September 2009
- Preliminary Assessment Report (33pp, 195MB) August 2008, view at repository or contact Heriberto León
- Remedial Investigation Report (311pp, 11.35MB) November 2010, view at repository or contact Heriberto León
Legal Agreements
- Record of Decision (PDF) (54pp, 1.1MB) August 2011
- Administrative settlement agreement and order on consent (AOC) (70pp, 5MB) 2008, view at repository or contact Heriberto León
Public Meetings
- Transcript from June 28, 2011 Public Meeting (PDF) (69pp, 167K) June 28, 2011
- Slides in Spanish : Plan Propuesto de Limpieza (PDF) (37pp, 596K) June 28, 2011
- Slides in English : Proposed Cleanup Plan (PDF) (38pp, 750K) June 28, 2011