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Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Workers clean up, investigate bluff collapse

One week after a large section of a bluff collapsed at a We Energies power plant in Oak Creek, Wis., crews are still working to clean up the debris in Lake Michigan and determine what exactly caused the collapse.

The landslide occurred just after 11 a.m.on Oct. 31, sending a pickup truck, dredging equipment, dirt and coal ash into the lake. No one was injured and power output from the plant was not affected, said Brian Manthey, a media relations professional at the company.

The area of the bluff collapse is mainly a construction prep area where construction tools and machinery are stored, Manthey said.

The landslide carried about 2,500 cubic yards of coal ash and soil into Lake Michigan. The coal ash had been buried in the soil of a ravine since the 1950s, before management, reuse and disposal regulations existed, said Ann Coakley, director of waste and materials management at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

We Energies is concentrating its efforts on the cleanup, Manthey said.

“Our focus has been on establishing a safe area for crews to work, containment of the debris both on land and in the water, and clean-up,” Manthey said.

The mucky mixture is being disposed of at a landfill on the power plant property. Large debris, including sections of a storage building, was pulled out of the mud and dropped in garbage containers, Manthey said.

Manthey said the damage has been contained. Neither the Coast Guard nor a hired contractor detected any noticeable fuel sheen near the site or other debris beyond the impact area. The shoreline five miles north and south of the plant continues to be monitored, and containment booms have been installed along the shore to absorb any fuel that may be on the water’s surface.

A barrier has also been constructed to prevent additional ash and other debris from entering the lake.

The significant volume of coal ash and other debris washed into Lake Michigan, which is a source of water for many Wisconsin residents, is a concern both We Energies and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said they are addressing.

Manthey said the plant has looked to additional agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, to determine levels of heavy metals and other contaminants in the ash.

“To this point, all of the participating agencies have said that there is no danger to the public and to the drinking water supply,” Manthey said. “Also, the Racine and Milwaukee water utilities have not expressed concerns with their water supply in the wake of this event.”

Willie Christensen, a junior in the College of Communication and a native of Oak Creek, said his concern waned when he learned of containment and cleanup efforts at We Energies.

“I had heard that it was mainly soil that spilled into the lake,” Christensen said. “They are working to clean it up, so I’m not very worried about it.”

Other students thought the residents exposed to a potential breach in water safety should be compensated.

“In addition to the cleanup, (We Energies) should do something to make up for the fact that people could be drinking contaminated water,” said Stephanie Graham, a sophomore in the College of Communication.

The cause of the bluff collapse is still under investigation, so as to prevent such an incident from occurring in the future. Manthey said once the root cause is determined, We Energies will address any possible actions to reduce the risk of another collapse.

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