MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – A long-vacant industrial site in Manitowoc is now at the center of a multi-million-dollar lawsuit as city leaders seek to recover millions spent on environmental cleanup tied to the property.
The City of Manitowoc is suing Newell Brands, the corporate successor to the former Mirro Company, for $6 million.
“This lawsuit is to really recoup dollars that were spent on cleanup,” Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels said. “We’ve been incurring costs for environmental remediation because we don’t want the site to just sit there.”
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City officials say contamination, including PCBs, solvents, petroleum compounds, and PFAS, was discovered after the facility shut down. Multiple environmental assessments, according to the city, point to the former operations at the site as the source of the contamination.
“The taxpayers shouldn’t be the ones to foot the bill for what was left on that site,” Nickels said.
He added that the lawsuit is intended to recover costs associated with years of work on the property.
“[It’s] towards the costs of what we had to go through over the last decade here with the site, including cleanup, demolition, and everything that was involved,” Nickels said.
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Despite the legal action, city leaders say redevelopment plans are moving forward. The property is expected to be transformed into a 59-unit apartment complex, with construction set to begin in late summer or early fall.
In a statement, a Newell Brands official said the property was sold in 2004 and has changed ownership multiple times since. The company said it has been cooperating with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on environmental investigation work and will address the city’s claims through the legal process.
Manitowoc officials say redevelopment will continue as the case moves forward with state and federal partners.
