Ashland Project Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Did all of the contamination come from one source?

Answer: It is unlikely that all of the contamination at the Ashland lakefront site came from one source. According to research conducted by the Gas Technology Institute, estimates indicate that there is substantially more tar in the affected area than was ever produced by the MGP.

Question: Historically, what was this area used for?

Answer: In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the Ashland lakefront was one of the nation’s foremost industrial ports. Coal, iron ore and lumber products were shipped through this port for local use and for sale to markets to the south and east. From the early 1880’s through the 1930’s a series of active lumber processing mills dominated the Ashland lakefront.

From 1885-1947, a predecessor company to Xcel Energy (located at the top of the bluff now overlooking Kreher Park) operated a manufactured gas plant (MGP) that produced, supplied and distributed gas to area residents. For nearly four decades in the early 20th century, Schroeder Lumber Company manufactured and treated various lumber products including railroad ties, shingles, pilings and other materials. Historical documents and eyewitness accounts suggest that lumber was treated at the property with tar-based preservatives and/or creosote-like materials. In the 1940’s, a portion of the lakefront was also used by the City as a dump site for municipal and other solid waste.

Question: The Chequamegon Bay is a large body of water. How much of it is affected?

Answer: Chequamegon Bay is roughly 12 miles long and five miles wide (approx. 40,000 acres). The contamination identified in Chequamegon Bay, along the Ashland lakefront, is contained in a relatively small 10-acre area near the existing marina.

Question: What entities have been notified that they are potentially responsible for the contamination at the Ashland lakefront project?

Answer: In 1995, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) named Northern States Power Company-Wisconsin as a party potentially responsible for the contamination. In 1997, following further investigations, the WDNR also named Wisconsin Central Limited Railroad (now Canadian National Railroad) and the City of Ashland as potentially responsible parties.

Question: What steps has Xcel Energy taken to begin cleaning up this area?

Answer: Since the mid-1990’s, Xcel Energy has worked with the WDNR, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), City of Ashland and Canadian National Railroad to identify the sources and extent of contamination and to remove contaminants at the site. These activities include:

• Public notice and access restrictions to notify residents about the contamination and restrict boat access from disturbing the contaminated sediments
• Cleanup activities at the MGP site to remove contamination from the Copper Falls Aquifer
• Cleanup activities at the adjacent lakefront property to remove the affected soils in the “seep” area
• Site characterization through thousands of samples of soils, sediments, groundwater, surface water, air, fish and other bay organisms
• Ongoing groundwater monitoring through a series of more than 30 wells at the site
• Historical investigations to thoroughly research the history of the operations at the MGP site and industrial activities at the adjacent lakefront property
• Remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to complete the site characterization, Xcel Energy voluntarily entered into an agreement with the EPA to finalize the overall RI/FS