The Scrap Processing Co., Inc. site sits on about 2 acres at 510 W. Allman St. in Medford, Wisconsin. From 1955 to 1981, the facility reclaimed lead from lead and acid batteries. Roughly 400,000 gallons of acid waste contaminated with heavy metals flowed through an unlined ditch into an unlined pond, which periodically overflowed into the nearby Black River. EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1984.
Lead in soil is the primary contaminant of concern. It was found in the area addressed under Operable Unit 1 and posed an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. The main exposure pathways involved people ingesting or touching contaminated soil and sediment.
A final cleanup plan was selected in September 1997. Work included excavating and removing lead-contaminated soil and sediment, draining the unlined pond, stabilizing and disposing of contaminated materials, and revegetation. Physical construction wrapped up in February 2000, with the full remedial action period running through October 2002. An Explanation of Significant Differences, published in August 2016, modified how institutional controls were put in place. Those controls were fully implemented by 2018. Sampling confirmed the cleanup was working, human exposure is currently under control, and contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable threat to surface water.
The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in August 2018 and was deleted from the NPL in September 2020. The scrap yard continues to operate at the location today, with one on-site business employing 6 people and generating about $9.7 million in annual sales. EPA completed its most recent five-year review in May 2024, confirming the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2029.
Community members can review site documents at the Frances L. Simek Memorial Library at 400 N. Main St. in Medford. The five-year review process welcomes public input. For questions, contact the Remedial Project Manager or the Community Involvement Coordinator.
