The Goodman Community Center, behind Madison-Kipp Corp. on Waubesa Street, opened its doors in 2009 in a renovated factory with industrial use going back to the 1880s. In spite of concern from neighbors that offering programs for children a heavily industrial area was problematic, the Center purchased the property and went through an environmental remediation process that included a Contaminated Soil Cap Maintenance Plan prepared by BT2, Inc. This October 2008 document includes plans for annual inspections and maintenance, including a barrier inspection log to document any breaks in the “cap” and how they were addressed.
Further, in line with this maintenance plan, the formal DNR closure agreement letter for Goodman Center reads:
“If soil or waste material are excavated in the future, then pursuant to [applicable DNR statutes], the property owner…must sample and analyze the excavated material to determine if residual contamination remains. If sampling confirms that contamination is present, the property owner…will need to determine whether the material would be considered solid or hazardous waste and ensure that any storage, treatment or disposal is in compliance with applicable standards and rules. In addition, all current and future owners and occupants of the property need to be aware that excavation of the contaminated soil may pose in inhalation or other direct contact hazard and as a result special precautions may need to be taken to prevent a direct contact health threat to humans.”
Goodman began excavation for an expanded kitchen facility in September 2012. Did they get prior written approval from the DNR for this excavation, as required? Did they test the soil before digging? Let’s hope so. But an initial MEJO inquiry at the Center indicates that no testing has been done since the original remediation.
