EPA completed the Seventh Five-Year Review (19.6 MB) review (pdf) (19.6 MB) of the site's cleanup in March 2025. This type of review is required at least every five years where the cleanup is complete but hazardous waste remains managed on-site. These reviews are done to ensure that the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment.
| City | Wausau |
|---|---|
| County | Marathon County |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 44.97730, -89.62920 |
Wausau Ground Water Contamination is a federal Superfund site in Wisconsin. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.
Current status: Construction complete. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy is complete, though long-term monitoring and institutional controls typically continue for years or decades. Groundwater treatment systems, for example, often run long after surface cleanup finishes.
Contaminants of concern include 1,2-dichloroethene (cis and trans mixture), tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene. Contamination has been detected in solid waste, sediment, surface water, groundwater, soil.
If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.