Northern Engraving Co. is a 40-acre active manufacturing facility in Sparta, Wisconsin that makes metal nameplates, dials, and decorative trim for the automotive industry. The site sits next to homes, businesses, and the La Crosse River. Manufacturing processes from the 1960s, including anodizing, chemical etching, and chromate conversion coating, left behind contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1984.
Nine contaminants were identified across soil, groundwater, surface water, and sludge. These include three chlorinated hydrocarbons (1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, and trichloroethene), vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethene, and four metals: copper, nickel, zinc, and fluoride. EPA determined all nine pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
The responsible companies funded the cleanup. Work included excavating and consolidating contaminated sludge and soil into a capped lagoon, backfilling and covering a seepage pit, and setting up groundwater monitoring. Institutional controls were put in place to restrict access and limit future land use. Construction ran from June 1988 through September 1989. EPA removed the site from the National Priorities List in 1997. In 2000, EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved ending groundwater monitoring and abandoning the monitoring wells.
Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA issued a Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use determination in 2013, confirming all cleanup goals for soil and groundwater were met and required controls are in place. The responsible companies continue to maintain the property and capped areas. As of December 2024, three businesses operating on the site employed 305 people and generated an estimated $47,076,433 in annual sales revenue. EPA completed its sixth five-year review on February 3, 2025, and found the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. The next review is scheduled for 2030.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
