Storm Water Runoff Reported at Foxconn Construction Site
Storm water runoff was reported flowing from the Foxconn Technology Group construction site in Mount Pleasant, Wis., into the Pike River, following recent heavy rainfall Sept. 3. The construction site runoff has raised concerns among residents and environmentalists who has spent more than $6 million in public funds to improve water quality in the Pike River, according the the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Foxconn and the village of Mount Pleasant has responded that the storm water runoff has been managed and now is under control.
Claude Lois, project manager for the village of Mount Pleasant, said that workers were onsite during the rains addressing the runoff concerns. Workers fixed a breach in a runoff barrier that was reported causing the excess flows.
“They were actually out there, on Labor Day, as well as all day [Tuesday], addressing the issue and fixing the issue,” Lois said. “There is no more storm water runoff into the Pike River and it probably never even got to the Pike River.”
A site inspection Sept. 3 found temporary suspension of dewatering activities, installation of ditch checks onsite prior to discharges and construction of additional temporary sedimentation basins, as reported by The Journal Times. Lois, representing the village of Mount Pleasant, said that they village is confident in the sites changes to address storm water runoff. Residents, however, remain concerned.
“We were told that contingency plans and designs for historic floods were calculated,” said Kelly Gallaher, village resident, representing citizen group A Better Mount Pleasant. “It is only September–not even a peak season for rain.”
Foxconn’s construction has raised similar concerns in neighboring Lake County, Ill., where the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission has embarked on a $74,000 engineering study to review possible flooding impacts to the county and the Des Plaines watershed.
