Fox River Cleanup Options Focus of Lawrence University Panel Discussion

APPLETON, WIS. -- An independent panel of scientists and engineers hired by Appleton Papers, Inc., will present options for dealing with contaminants in the lower Fox River in a panel discussion Thursday, May 23 at Lawrence University.

The program, "Reclaiming the Lower Fox River," will be held at 7 p.m. in Youngchild Hall 121. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. The event is free and open to the public.

Led by Cecil Lue-Hing, former director for research and development for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the seven-member panel will discuss their proposal of a $266 million capping remediation strategy for dealing with PCBs and other contaminants contained in Fox River sediment.

The panel includes former heads and senior officials of state and local environmental agencies and river restoration projects with specific expertise in hydrology, hydraulics, biology, ecology, hazardous waste management and wastewater treatment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources favor a dredging plan at an estimated cost of $308 million for removing 7.25 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment from the 39-mile stretch of the Fox River between Little Lake Butte des Morts in Winnebago County and the bay of Green Bay.