The Mole Lake School site is located on the Mole Lake Reservation in Crandon, Wisconsin. The site contains a burned-out structure that was used as the Sokaogon Chippewa Community school until the mid-1980’s and was later used as tribal offices until 2005. In late 2010, the building caught on fire and burned to the ground. There were concerns that lead paint and asbestos containing building material were released as a result of the fire. On October 31, 2011, EPA conducted a preliminary site investigation which confirmed that the soil surrounding the building had elevated lead levels and that the building did contain asbestos containing building material. The property is currently unsecured and is located across the street from residential homes and is adjacent to a park.
On November 14, 2011, EPA received a formal request for assistance from the tribe to perform a removal site assessment. EPA performed the assessment on December 1, 2011 with START and tribal representatives. Samples taken during the site assessment are currently being analyzed and results will be available in few weeks. EPA is currently working with the tribe to secure the building and reduce site access.
On May 1, 2012, EPA, START and ERRS mobilized to the Site to begin removal activities. A public availability session was held at the Sokaogon Chippewa Community tribal offices on May 1st to discuss the removal action plan and the air monitoring plan. The site had 24 hour security and construction fencing to restrict access to the site during removal activities. EPA maintained constant communication with the Tribe and the nearby residents during the removal process. Real-time air monitoring was implemented throughout the removal action. The Tribal Environmental Department had remote access to the air monitoring data. The last of the debris was removed on May 18, 2012 and the heavy equipment was demobilized on May 21, 2012.
