Even though we stopped the expansion, we still need to keep an eye on the existing Kidney Island.  A 55 acre toxic island is already sitting in the middle of Green Bay, and many questions are still unanswered:
 

Leakage Repair 

Now that the expansion plans are over, the Corps plans to "finish" the island and turn it over to Brown County for long-term care at local taxpayer expense.
 
Before this happens, the Corps should be required to seal the leaks in the island, otherwise the County could be liable for expensive repairs later.  The Corps has acknowledged now that the island was designed to leak.  The walls are simply interlocking sheet-metal pilings held up with large rip-rap rocks.  A gap was deliberately left along the bottoms of the wall to allow the island to be dewatered as it filled.  As wet sludge is piled on top, the water squeezes out the bottom, carrying toxic contaminants with it into the Bay.
 
A dye-tracer study has never been done to document leakage from Kidney Island, but dye-tracer studies at four similar islands built by the Corps at Wisconsin harbors along Lake Michigan showed extensive leakage, with up to 90% of the water flowing directly through the walls into the Lake.  They leaked like sieves.  Repairs were required at those other sites, but nothing's been done in Green Bay.
 
For years, the Corps tried to tell us all the drainage water went through filter structures built at one end of the island, but their deliberate lie has been exposed.
 
If the expansion required a  pollution discharge permit and was required to meet Wisconsin's water quality standards, then the existing island should be required to meet those standards as well.  This is the Corps' responsibility and they shouldn't be allowed to avoid it.  They might argue that the existing island pre-dates Wisconsin's standards, but none of the other old existing industrial or municipal pollution sources are exempt.
 

Contingency Plans

The County still lacks a clear plan on how much money County taxpayers will be asked to set aside for regular maintenance and storm damage of the island.  Though the County is responsible, they seem determined to rely on the Corps.  In a pinch, it's possible the island could be spilling its toxic contents into the bay while the agencies wrangle over who's responsible.
 
All this concern about sediment leakage may seem silly now --- after all, the sediment came from the bay, so what difference does it make if some escapes back into the bay? --- but we need to think about the future. Hundreds of millions of dollars may be spent to clean-up the Fox River and Bay.  In 20 years, the water could be much cleaner.  If the island breaks apart this could ruin the Bay clean-up effort and anglers and wildlife could be affected again until the system finally buries or disperses the toxic chemicals.
 

Surface Land Use

The existing island has become a major nesting site for colonial nesting birds, including some rare species of Terns.  Some biologists believe it many be better to discourage the birds' use, because the island is too close to land, allowing raccoons and foxes to cross over and kill the nestlings.  Others fear the birds are too exposed to eating contaminated fish in the lower Bay (though with the river clean-up we could hope this will be fixed).  Many human recreational uses have been proposed, and local citizens should beware of uses or improper capping which could increase toxic exposures.  We will study proposals and report more on this later.  We'll be pushing for public hearings and written public comment periods --- to allow citizen input.
 

Alternative Projects

The County still wants permission to land-spread contaminated sediments, or to bag and sell them as fertilizers or soil conditioners to unsuspecting customers.  They're also looking at building other islands out in the bay or to "restore" the Cat Island Chain.  These projects must be watched carefully.