The Tomah Fairgrounds covers 15 acres of a 37-acre fairground in Tomah, Wisconsin. During the 1950s, the city used part of the property as an open, unlined dump, accepting both industrial and municipal waste. That waste contaminated the soil and groundwater with volatile organic compounds, including chloroethene (vinyl chloride), and heavy metals, including lead. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. The NPL is the federal list of contaminated sites that may need cleanup under the Superfund program.
Cleanup focused on the landfill area, identified as Operable Unit 01. A remedial investigation began in May 1993 and finished in September 1996, when EPA also selected the final remedy. The chosen approach for the landfill unit was No Further Action, supported by land-use restrictions, groundwater restrictions, well abandonment, and ongoing groundwater monitoring. A long-term cover maintenance plan, approved by the state, is being updated by the city of Tomah. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in August 2001 after cleanup goals were met.
EPA assessments confirm that human exposure to contaminants is currently under control. There are no unacceptable exposure pathways across the site, and contaminated groundwater has been stabilized in its original area with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been achieved, and required land-use controls are in place. EPA has completed five-year reviews in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and August 2022 to confirm the remedy stays effective. The next review is estimated between August and October 2027.
The site has also seen economic activity return. As of December 2024, three businesses were operating there, employing 17 people and generating an estimated $1,024,000 in annual sales revenue. This is part of EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which helps communities put former Superfund sites back to productive use.
Community members who want to learn more can review site records at the Tomah Public Library at 716 Superior Ave. in Tomah, Wisconsin. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.
