Preventive measures have keep contaminants from increasing

Jeff Broddle | Cadillac News Victoria Weitzel, R.S. of the District 10 Health Department demonstrates how an Environmental Sanitarian takes a water sample from a tap.

There’s more underground than just water.

“Unlike, say, the Saginaw area, in the Cadillac area if you spill it today, you could be drinking it tomorrow,” said Steve Cunningham, environmental quality specialist with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Groundwater contamination sites mark the northern Michigan landscape like a game of environmental connect the dots. But people don’t really see it unless they’re immediately threatened or they have contaminated wells.

Wexford County has 40 groundwater contamination sites with more than half located in the city of Cadillac. And those are just the ones the DEQ has a case file on.

The situation doesn’t change if you look in Lake, Missaukee or Osceola counties where there are 13, 17 and 35 sites, respectively.

For Michigan in general, Cunningham said the number of sites located in the area are pretty normal.

A few things make the area unique. First off, there is sandy soil that allows contaminants to quickly penetrate into the groundwater.

Most sites are known as “legacy sites,” which have been around for a long time and are large and complicated. Oftentimes, the DEQ is dealing with former owners and current owners.

Industrial sites that account for a number of groundwater contamination throughout the area have made changes in their practices to use materials that are less harmful, Cunningham said.

Degreasing solvents, which have historically been a major contamination culprit, have been substituted with non-solvent based degreasers, he said.

Kurt Schindler, a groundwater expert and interim director of the Cadillac Michigan State University Extension office, said preventive measures have helped.

“It’s common to require a secondary containment design,” said Schindler, referring to planning and zoning restrictions. “Where you know you’re using hazardous chemicals, you design those spaces so if there is a spill, what you spill is on an impervious surface and a drain doesn’t take it right into the ground.”

Schindler said it’s an easy sell for businesses because the cost is much lower than an environmental cleanup.

When you look at Cadillac specifically, Cunningham said it’s unique that the city’s well field is located in an area with groundwater contamination on many sides.

That fact combined with the age of the city’s well field prompted officials to look at creating a new well field, said Cadillac Utilities Director Larry Campbell.

“The well field is in a prolific aquifer,” Campbell said. “Every time you turn around you find something new in the groundwater. Conventional wisdom says it’s time to start looking.”

Only one city well has been shut down because of groundwater contamination. If the city attempted to drill a new well in the location of its current field, Campbell said it’s unlikely the state would allow it. The city conducts quality tests every month, he said.

The city plans to search for a new site, conduct hydro-geological work and install a new well field sometime in 2011.

Protecting your water

The rural nature of northern Michigan leaves many residents reliant on wells and the quality of the groundwater.

That means everyone plays a role in keeping groundwater free from contamination.

All water is interconnected so if something ends up in wetlands or in a lake, there’s a good chance it’ll end up in groundwater too.

For property owners near lakes, Schindler recommends a natural buffer between the home and the water. This acts as a shield to fertilizer, contaminants or other runoff from having direct access to surface water.

Those dealing with fuel should dispose of oil properly. Anyone with a fuel tank on their property should have a secondary containment unit underneath, Schindler said.

Floor drains in garages should be plugged or have a holding tank instead of direct access to the ground.

Chemicals inside a home should be kept in a location where should a container break, it won’t have a chance to seep into the ground.

As for wells, Schindler said test kits can be obtained from the health department.

Homeowners also should keep in mind their septic system and drain field, which can lead to groundwater problems.

Landfill in perspective

When looking at contamination sites in Wexford County, the landfill falls right in the middle.

The MDEQ gives the landfill a score of 25 out of 48. The pollutants listed include 1,2 DCA, Fe and TCE. Remedial action is in progress.

Of the 40 sites listed in Wexford County, only three sites have remedial action in progress.

The major difference between the landfill and other sites is that homeowners affected have private wells. With contamination sites in the city of Cadillac and other cities around the area, homeowners are served with clean, municipal water.

That’s the ultimate goal in Cedar Creek Township.

Your Local Connection

What’s in your county?

This is a list of the groundwater contamination sites scored by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as the five most severe in each county. The higher the score, the worst the situation. It is based on a top score of 48.

Lake

1: Wash King Laundry, M-37 in Baldwin

Pollutants: PCE; TCE from dry cleaner degreaser

Score: 29 of 48

Status: Groundwater remediation in progress

2: Molebash Fuel Spill, 8686 Red Maple St. in Irons

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB from private households

Score: 28 of 48

Status: Response in progress

3: Austin Tube Co, 4477 Forman Road in Baldwin

Pollutants: TCE from degreaser

Score: 27 of 48

Status: Response in progress

4: U.S. Forest Service in Baldwin

Pollutants: Al; Cd; Fe; Mn

Score: 27 of 48

Status: Response in progress

5: Lake County Road Commission Building, 1180 N. Michigan in Baldwin

Pollutants: Ethylbenzene; Xylenes; Gasoline

Score: 24 of 48

Status: Response in progress

Missaukee

1: Dutch Hutch Gasoline Service Station, 120/130 Roland in McBain

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; Pb; Naphthalene; Toluene; Xylenes; sec-Butylbenzene

Score: 33 of 48

Status: Tanks removed; release open

2: Stoney Pines Restaurant, 211 N. Pine St. in McBain

Pollutants: Benzene, metals from petroleum bulk stations

Score: 32 of 48

Status: Inactive, no actions taken

3: The Landing, 105 W. Prospect in Lake City

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; Naphthalene; Xylenes; n-Propylbenzene

Status: Tanks removed; release status open

4: Oryx Norwich Gasplant, 11576 Stratford Road in Moorestown

Pollutants: Benzene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Xylenes

Score: 29 of 48

Status: Response in progress

5: Chemical Plant and Tar Pit, Jennings Road in Jennings

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; Ethylbenzene; Naphthalene; Xylenes

Score: 28 of 48

Status: Response in progress

Osceola

1: Former Osceola Refinery, 521 N. Park in Reed City

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; Pb; Xylenes

Score: 41 of 48

Status: Interim response in progress

2: Old Koppers Site Hersey River, end of Lincoln Ave. in Reed City

Pollutants: PNAs from wood preserving

Score: 37 of 48

Status: Interim response in progress

3: Schumacher Salvage, 10977 South M-66 in Sears

Pollutants: 1,3,5 TMB; As; Benzene; Co; Ethylbenzene; Fe; Pb; Mn; Toluene; Xylenes; Zn; n-Propylbenzene

Score: 37 of 48

Status: Land purchased by Osceola County, evaluation in progress

4: Andy’s Standard, 303 S. Chestnut in Reed City

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; Toluene

Score: 34 of 48

Status: In progress

5: Ralph’s Marathon, 202 E. Seventh St. in Evart

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; 2-Methylnaphthalene; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; Naphthalene; Toluene; Xylenes; n-Butylbenzene; n-Propylbenzene

Score: 34 of 48

Status: Tanks removed, in progress

Wexford

1: Rexair, 230 7th St. in Cadillac

Pollutants: TCE

Score: 39 of 48

Status: Response in progress

2: Ingraham Property, 1304 Leeson Ave. in Cadillac

Pollutants: PCE; TCE from motor vehicle parts

Score: 37 of 48

Status: Response conducted, no further activities anticipated

3: AAR Cadillac Manufacturing, 201 Haynes St. in Cadillac

Pollutants: 1,1,1 TCA; 1,2 DCA; PCE; TCE; cis-1,2 DCE; trans-1,2 DCE from several manufacturing companies

Score: 34

Status: Response in progress

4: Peterson’s Standard, 324 N. Mitchell in Cadillac

Pollutants: 1,2,4 TMB; 1,3,5 TMB; Benzene; Ethylbenzene; MTBE; Toluene; Xylenes

Score: 34 of 48

Status: One tank closed, four in use, release open

5: Old Cadillac Dump, Northern Railroad and Avart Road and Granite St. in Cadillac

Pollutants: Ammonia; As; Cl; Cr+3; Cu; Diethyl phthalate; Fe; Mg; Ni; Nitrate; Nitrite; Phenol; Na; Sulfate; PCE; Zn; BEHP

Score: 31 out of 48

Status: Inactive, no actions taken to address contamination