In Port Washington, the usual spring spruce-up has turned into a years-long battle with stubborn orange stains that will not let go. Charter captains and recreational boat owners say rust-like spots have spread across decks, railings and dock planks, a persistent cosmetic mess they claim has slowly built up over time. The residue is tough to scrub out, expensive to treat and, in some cases, has already discolored brand-new flooring, leaving harbor regulars demanding answers about what, exactly, is landing on their boats.
As reported by TMJ4, 25-year charter captain Chad Biersach put it bluntly: "The decks are covered with them." Fellow guide Ruben Ojeda told the station the staining has already cost him thousands of dollars, and he shared video that appears to show an orange-tinted plume near the Port Washington Generating Station. Some boaters suspect the nearby plant could be involved, but the company told the station that its own testing has found no evidence tying the facility to the stains and that the orange tint in the video "appears to be a reflection" rather than something coming from the plant.
What boaters are doing
In the meantime, locals say they are stuck in a constant cycle of clean, rinse and repeat. Many boat owners have turned to commercial rust removers and regular, labor-intensive scrubbing just to keep the buildup in check. A few have had to go further, sanding or refinishing recently replaced surfaces that were supposed to stay pristine for years. For small charter operations that rely on spotless decks to keep customers happy, those hours of work and the cost of chemicals and materials add up fast.
Harbor users are snapping photos, shooting video and documenting the damage every time new spots show up. They say the goal is to collect enough evidence to push for more targeted testing that might finally pin down where the material is coming from.
Company position and regulatory path
We Energies, which operates the Port Washington Generating Station, told TMJ4 that sampling it conducted on boats and in the air near the plant did not show any link between the facility and the rust-like stains. The company also said the Port Washington site "is in full compliance with its air permit."
Responding to Ojeda's video, the company told the station that the visible steam was released during standard start-up procedures and that the orange tint in the footage appears to be a reflection, not an emission. While We Energies insists its monitoring systems are doing their job, frustrated boaters say they are not ready to rule anything out yet.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a virtual public hearing for June 10 on a permit application tied to turbine upgrades at the Port Washington Generating Station. That hearing will give residents a formal venue to raise questions about the stains and any broader concerns about the plant. According to the agency, details about the permit and how to participate are laid out in the DNR's public notice.
Why residents are watching
The orange spotting is landing in a community that already keeps a close eye on its lakeside neighbor. Local coverage has highlighted an ongoing, sometimes tense relationship between residents and the plant over upgrades and neighborhood impacts, and city officials have said they will work with the company if problems arise, according to the Ozaukee Press.
The Port Washington Generating Station occupies more than 50 acres along Lake Michigan and is described on the company site as a combined-cycle natural gas plant with continuous monitoring systems in place. For now, harbor users say they will keep documenting every new stain and plan to bring their stories and concerns to the DNR hearing, while pressing regulators and the company for more testing and clearer answers about what is spotting their boats.
