The site is a project of the Clean Water Action Council, as part of the $50,000 Technical Assistance Grant provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Superfund program.  The site will be a central reference point and clearinghouse, with links to numerous other PCB-related sites around the world.

Media representatives are invited to make an appointment to visit the office of Clean Water Action Council and receive a guided tour and discussion of the site.

"People need more information about the personal health effects they could be suffering due to their PCB exposure over many years in this region.  A big feature of this site will be detailed documentation of such effects," stated Rebecca Katers, Executive Director of the Clean Water Action Council.  "We've included references to several hundred human health studies involving PCBs, and additional information on wildlife health effects."

"We were surprised by the wide range of human health effects.  PCBs are linked to much more than cancer PCBs could also be contributing to local cases of heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disorders, auto-immune diseases, Parkinson's disease, reproductive disorders, and sexual impacts.  Children are clearly at risk of learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and other health damage," added Katers

The site also includes background information on the Fox River and Green Bay --- the area's history, economy, and physical characteristics.  In addition, the chemistry and sources of PCB's will be explained.

One particularly interesting section gives the history of PCBs since 1927, documenting that Monsanto, Westinghouse and General Electric were already well-aware of PCB toxicity even before Appleton Paper and NCR Corporation began using and dumping PCBs into the Fox River in 1954.  Corporate public relations campaigns downplayed PCB risks for many years, as described in the timeline.

The site will also include remediation technologies for dredging, treating and landfilling contaminated sediments from the Fox River --- with evaluations on which are the safest and most effective.

Two sections will feature sediment cleanup proposals, and the separate compensation and restoration proposals. Numerous links are provided to official government websites regarding the Fox River.  We will include citizen critiques of the official plans, and provide notices of public hearings and written comment periods.

The website design is by DataScouts Corporation.  The content is by Rebecca Katers.
 

• For more information, contact: Clean Water Action Council, 1270 Main Street, Suite 120, Green Bay, WI 54302.  Phone: 920-437-7304  Fax: 920-437-7326  E-mail: CleanWater@cwac.net