Badger Army Ammunition Plant: Will continue monitoring and cleanup efforts

Contact:

Joan Kenney

Commander’s Representative

Badger Army Ammunition Plant

(608) 644-0073

(BARABOO, Wis.)—The U.S. Army and its subcontractors today reaffirmed their commitment to providing clean drinking water to residents around the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) and that they will continue their groundwater monitoring and cleanup efforts while a proposed public water system is being studied and after it is constructed.

In addition, the BAAP team will continue to work closely with the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, which is responsible for ultimately determining the duration of the monitoring and cleanup activities.

“While detectable levels of contaminants in neighborhood wells are too low for the DNR to mandate it, we believe constructing a public water system is the best solution for portions of the adjacent communities,” Joan Kenney, BAAP’s Commander’s Representative, said. “As long as the DNR believes there’s an issue at BAAP, the Army and its subcontractors will be there monitoring and protecting the area’s groundwater.”

Kenney noted that with the soil investigations at BAAP almost complete, a formal proposal to the DNR for agreement on a final remedy for the groundwater problems will soon be submitted. The installation of a public water system would end the requirement to test private wells in the affected areas, though testing of monitoring wells to track the groundwater conditions is expected to continue for many years to come.

The merits of continuing the operation of the groundwater pump-and-treat systems at the Propellant Burning Ground area of the installation also will be evaluated, independent of the decision on the public water system, according to Kenney.

The proposed public water system would draw water from the deep sandstone aquifer into a 75,000-gallon water tower and allow for the creation of a fire hydrant system. The Army will work closely with area residents, community leaders and elected officials to develop the project and help form a water district.

More information can be found at http://www.cleanwaterwelldone.com.