NEWS
University under fire for snow dumping
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by Becky Vevea
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
After record-setting snowfall this winter, the University of Wisconsin faces concerns regarding toxic pollutants coming from a melting pile of plowed snow in a marsh near the UW Hospital.
UW sophomore Thomas Wilson wrote a letter to the chancellor after noticing a large amount of trash, including toxic lead wheel weights, in the Class of 1918 marsh near Lake Mendota.
“I understand that there’s record snowfall in Madison this year, but there is really no excuse for dumping all this salt and garbage-laden snow on the marsh and not cleaning it up,” Wilson said.
According to John Harrod, director of the physical plant division for UW, snow removed from campus intersections and parking lots has been stored at this site for years.
Harrod explained the site is the best place for snow storage on campus because the snow will not go directly into the lake via street sewers as it melts. He added it is easier to clean the garbage out of the marsh rather than the lake.
“The idea is that the snow would melt into the marsh first before going into the lake,” Harrod said.
Wilson said he is very worried about the lead waste in the pile because lead is a toxic element that is difficult to recover once it enters the environment and has negative effects on nature.
“The problem with lead is that it can accumulate in sediments that eventually build up in the tissue of aquatic plants and animals,” said Greg Matthews, public affairs manager for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Harrod said in the past they have piled hay bales and used silt prevention fences around the perimeter of the snow pile to minimize pollutants running into the marsh, and they are currently looking into new sites for snow storage.
According to Matthews, however, this is not the first complaint regarding this pile, adding the university received wetland delineation from the Strand Association in 2006, establishing a wetland boundary on the site where trash dumping is prohibited.
“It was our understanding that they were going to pave that storage area and put some type of barrier or division [barrier] in place to direct melt away from the wetland,” Matthews said.
The garbage and pollution coming from the melting snow pile is typical after winter ends, and Harrod said UW is concerned about the pile’s large size.
“The record-setting season that we had is still apparent out there in that pile,” Harrod said. “We’ll be out on a routine basis cleaning it up as best we can.”
Wilson said he’s been going down there everyday and has not seen anything happen.
George Dreckmann, recycling coordinator for the city of Madison, said the city tries to use parking lots for snow storage and avoids environmentally sensitive areas.
“I would say that snow storage sites are at a premium,” Dreckmann said. “If the university were to call us up and ask us if they could use ours, we would tell them ‘No,’ because of a winter like this.”
But with large amounts of snow and limited space to pile it, he said he was “sympathetic to the fact that it’s going to be a challenge for [UW] to find alternative locations.”
According to Harrod, possible alternative locations for snow storage are located in the vicinity of the marsh, including relocating the pile to the north side or improving the current site.
“The days of just dumping [snow] on the lake are gone,” Dreckmann said.
The city tries to reduce the amount of pollutants and road debris that ends up in snow piles by sweeping the streets when there is no snow.
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 4:34am):
And here we go...first people complain about the city not clearing the snow away fast enough and then when the city steps up to the plate and clears it away as fast as it can....people start to complain about where they dump said snow...for crying out loud, just give it a break and shut up!
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 11:13am):
"...for crying out loud, just give it a break and shut up!"
I suppose that's what you want us all to do... just shut up and say nothing whenever there is a wrong in the world. Wow, just imagine what things would be like if everyone in American history who stood up for something they believed in just "gave it a break and shut up" Think about it.
Anonymous (April 10, 2008 @ 12:30am):
All the fist anonymous is saying is that as a whole, Madisonians should pick one or the other, because both is close to impossible. A stupid lake in the middle of Wisconsin isn't "standing up for something," and neither are the stupid roads. Pick one, bitch about that, and endure the other, don't just have your cake and eat it too like the reality-free liberals in this town.
Anonymous (April 23, 2008 @ 3:29pm):
Whoa, easy on the generalizations. I'd say, go Thomas for bringing up this issue!
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