DNR says Saukville, county responsible for soil cleanup

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has notified Ozaukee County and the Village of Saukville that it intends to name them as responsible parties for soil contamination at the corner of Green Bay Avenue and East Clay Street in the village’s public right of way, County Highway Commissioner Jon Edgren told supervisors last week.

The contamination may extend to a private property located on East Clay Street, southeast of the Ozaukee Food Alliance,  2100 E. Green Bay Ave., which is in the former TriPar building and a former gas station.

Testing is planned on that property, Edgren said.

According to Edgren, quoting the DNR, the ground pollution stems from  a gas station that was removed in the 1960s.

The contamination was discovered in the 1990s during a utility project, Edgren said.

“But we’re just hearing now that they’ve decided we’re a responsible party,” Edgren told members of the county Public Works Committee last week.

He said the DNR has been unable to find an heir or responsible party of the gas station responsible for the contamination, which is apparently unrelated to the Tripar site, Edgren said.