better brite plating co. chrome and zinc shops

519 LANDE ST

The 4-acre Better Brite Plating Company Chrome and Zinc Shops (Better Brite) site is located in Brown County, Wisconsin. It is comprised of two sections of land that are divided by a residential area. The Better Brite Plating Company began operations at the Zinc Shop in the late 1960s and was primarily engaged in plating 15- to 20-foot rollers for paper mills in the area. By 1978 chrome plating operations began at the Chrome Shop, and operations at the Zinc Shop were converted to zinc plating only. Vertical in-ground dip tanks were used for chromium plating operations. Operational practices were poor. Numerous complaints from neighbors and employees regarding spills and dumping prompted initial investigations by the Wisconsin Department of Natural resources (WDNR) in 1979. Limited site investigations and remedial efforts were conducted during the 1980s. The Better Brite Plating Company filed for bankruptcy protection and discontinued operations at the Chrome Shop in 1985, but operations continued at the Zinc Shop until 1989. Investigations found that the vertical tanks at the Chrome Shop had leaked between 20,000 and 60,000 gallons of chrome plating solution while the plant was in operation. Local residents and the City of DePere formerly used groundwater for drinking in the vicinity of the site. The local city well was abandoned and the City of De Pere now draws its drinking water from Lake Michigan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Better Brite site on the National Priorities List (NPL) on August 30, 1990.