April 8, 2022 – Madison, WI – Representative Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger) released the following statement following Governor Evers signing Wisconsin Act 234, originally known as Assembly Bill 943.
The bill addresses environmental remediation at several buildings in Wisconsin, including a facility on Oak Street in West Bend.
You can read more about the legal issues surrounding 5R Processors HERE.
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“Addressing local concerns is one of the most rewarding accomplishments of representing my constituents in the Wisconsin State Assembly. With the removal of the hazardous waste from the facility on Oak Street, West Bend can move forward to other steps and get this building back on the tax roll.
“Ordinarily, I would prefer to see the responsible parties pay for the cleanup, but the judge on this case said that was not possible well into the foreseeable future. I would like to thank State Representative Edming, State Senator Petrowski, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for their work on this bill.”
Below is a little more background on the location in West Bend, WI
Bill Passed Legislature to Remove Hazardous Waste in West Bend.
2021 Assembly Bill 943, a bill which requires the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to contract with third parties for the cleanup of electronics waste passed the Senate and the Assembly. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for approval. This bill directly impacts Washington County, specifically West Bend.
The necessity of this bill has become more apparent as a company by the name of 5R Processors (5R) blatantly violated the law between 2011 and 2016 with their hazardous waste operation, which included facilities in Ladysmith, Glen Flora, Catawba, and West Bend. Until 2011, 5R operated facilities where they would break down electronic equipment that contained cathode ray tube (CRT) glass and resell the product, which was permissible under the law. However, some of the computer monitors and televisions that 5R would break down into “clean glass” and “funnel glass” contained lead.
Between 2011 and 2016, 5R knowingly stored hazardous waste at unpermitted facilities across the state, transported the material, and concealed these violations from regulators in Wisconsin. Since then, the individuals involved in this scandal were charged with conspiracy to store and transport hazardous waste without the required permits and manifests, in violation of federal law. The former president of 5R was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. However, much of the hazardous waste remains in the facilities where 5R operated. There are approximately 841,000 pounds of this material in West Bend alone.
The unpermitted site in West Bend is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood just blocks from the Badger Middle School. In addition, this site backs up to the Eisenbahn State Trail, an attraction to residents of Washington County and visitors. AB 943 addresses this issue by utilizing existing funding under the DNR’s control and ordering the DNR to arrange for the removal of the hazardous waste remaining at these facilities.
