Current Issues
Toxic Compound Highest in Groundwater at Fort McCoy
CSWAB petitioned the Wisconsin DNR today to develop drinking water Health Advisory Levels for toxic compounds that have been detected in groundwater at U.S. Army Reserve Fort McCoy and other Wisconsin sites that used industrial fire-fighting foams. The petition is the...
Cease Fire Campaign to Address National Academies on Alternatives to Burning Munitions
WASHINGTON, DC - CSWAB is pleased to report that representatives of the Cease Fire Campaign are invited speakers at an upcoming national meeting on safer alternatives to open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of conventional munitions. Steering Committee members Jane...
Groundwater Meeting Follow-up, Maps and More
On July 26, U.S. Army representatives affirmed that the military will not build the proposed public water system for Sauk County residents who live near the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant. Pentagon officials took questions from more than 80 people at the Sauk...
CSWAB Groundwater Conditions Update
In April 2017, the Army at Badger Army Ammunition Plant tested 115 groundwater monitoring wells and two residential wells. This was a semi-annual sampling event. Following is a summary of key findings reported by the Army. Tested monitoring wells are associated with...
Draft United Nations Treaty Recognizes Disproportionate Impact to Indigenous Peoples
CSWAB is proud to be a co-signator on the Indigenous Statement that has been integrated into the new preamble to the United Nations Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. The draft now includes the following passage: "Mindful of the suffering of and unacceptable harm caused to...
CSWAB Efforts Lead to Better Testing at Badger
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is requiring the Army to analyze drinking water and groundwater at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant for contaminants resulting from the breakdown of explosives in the environment. Toxicologists with the...
Communities Press EPA to Regulate Vapor Intrusion
CSWAB joined dozens of organizations and activists including Erin Brokovich in co-signing a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt this week, urging him to allow rulemaking on vapor intrusion to move forward. Vapor intrusion is the migration of toxic vapors from the...
CSWAB Team Counts 68 Bird Species at Badger!
On May 6, our day started searching around the Weigand's Point area on Lake Wisconsin.The Sauk Prairie Recreation Area includes land on Lake Wisconsin formerly used as a pumping station for process water. We were fortunate enough to see American White Pelicans...
New Health Advisories for Military Explosives in Drinking Water
New guidance from state toxicologists will help communities and regulators leverage better cleanup of munitions contamination that poses a risk to drinking water. On April 4, Wisconsin health officials issued interim Health Advisory Levels (HALs) that are the first...
VIDEO: The True Cost of Burning Military Munitions
NEW VIDEO - Toxic pollutants are released when munitions are open burned, open detonated or incinerated. These toxic emissions endanger public health by contaminating air, groundwater and soils near open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) operations. Military...
World Water DAY of Action – March 22, 2017
When cleanup of groundwater contamination has degraded to literally doing nothing, it’s time for all of us to do something. At toxic cleanup sites across the country, environmental agencies have allowed groundwater contamination to go untreated —a strategy...
CSWAB Newsletter Spring 2017
New Fact Sheet on Federal Facilities with High Explosives Contamination As part of the Cease Fire Campaign, CSWAB has researched and published a New Fact Sheet on federal facilities with RDX contamination. RDX is a toxic and carcinogenic explosive compound found in...