BASF Corp. Wyandotte, MI Frequent Questions
Is there contamination at the BASF North Works cleanup Site in Wyandotte, Michigan?
Groundwater is contaminated at the BASF North Works Site, and some of that groundwater is leaving the Site and entering the Detroit River.
What type of contaminants are present in the groundwater at the BASF North Works Site?
The groundwater at the BASF North Works Site is contaminated with:
- Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs: including but not limited to benzene, vinyl chloride, and acetone, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, and total xylenes.
- Semivolatile Organic Compounds, or SVOCs: bis(2-chloroethyl) ether, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, fluoranthene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, 2-methylnaphthalene, carbazole, and dibenzofuran.
- Metals: including mercury, vanadium, selenium, and arsenic. • Other contaminants include available cyanide, high pH, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).
What is EPA doing about this contamination?
BASF is completing cleanup of the BASF North Works site under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or (RCRA) Corrective Action program through a legal document known as an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC). The AOC requires BASF to complete a facility-wide investigation of potential sources of contamination, evaluate remedial needs and remedy options, and implement a cleanup remedy for the entire site.
The groundwater is currently being addressed by two remedial efforts: the Targeted Interim Groundwater Measure and the Comprehensive Groundwater Interim Measure. The Targeted Interim Groundwater Measure removes groundwater from a select couple of wells and treats collected water for PFAS and PFOS before it is sent off-site through a discharge permit. This Targeted Measure has been online since July 7th, 2023. The Comprehensive Groundwater Interim Measure aims to intercept the Site’s groundwater that would otherwise leave the site and treat it prior to allowed disposal. This effort is currently in the design phase.
Does contamination from the BASF North Works Site impact nearby residents?
The BASF North Works Site is not accessible to the public, so direct contact with contamination is not likely. EPA and Michigan Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) are actively coordinating with BASF to address the off-Site movement of contaminated groundwater.
Does the Site’s groundwater contamination impact Wyandotte drinking water sources?
The City of Wyandotte gets its drinking water from the Detroit River. The water goes through a filtration and treatment process and is closely watched by the City of Wyandotte to ensure it continues to meet all drinking water standards. As we follow the science of emerging contaminants, the Wyandotte drinking water is now routinely tested for PFAS. It is unlikely that BASF is the only contributor of PFAS to the river. PFAS was used in many industries and activities common at industrial facilities. Properties along the Detroit River have been, and continue to be, heavily industrialized. Currently the total number of contributors of PFAS to the River is unknown.
While the BASF Site is close to the Wyandotte water intake, EPA has not seen Site-related impacts to the intake. In September and October of 2022, EPA collected both raw and finished drinking water samples at the City of Wyandotte’s water treatment facility for analysis of PFAS/PFOS. The drinking water sampling was focused on PFAS/PFOS and mercury as these contaminants have the greater potential to bio-accumulate and migrate into the river from the BASF Site as groundwater discharge. The results of both drinking water samples were non-detect for the analyzed compounds. Michigan EGLE collects drinking water for analysis for PFAS/PFOS, VOCs, and mercury.
What is the approach to PFAS contamination at the Site?
BASF is designing the comprehensive groundwater interim measure to address PFAS contamination on-Site to meet the State’s groundwater cleanup criteria in addition to addressing the groundwater for contaminants listed in question 2 above.
What are the ecological impacts to the river and recreation?
Contamination in the groundwater at the BASF North Works Site can potentially be hurting the aquatic life in the Detroit River. Additionally, the Detroit River was listed as an Area of Concern due to contamination from industrial activity. Michigan has published a fishing advisory for the Detroit River. Fishing guides recommend limiting the amount and type of fish consumed for each area of concern.
How has the understanding of this Site changed?
Understanding the nature and extent of contamination has been an iterative process, which can take some time. Cleaning up a hazardous waste site includes –understanding where the contamination is, how it moves through the soil and groundwater, and the risk it poses. The results of earlier investigations showed the extent of contamination within groundwater was greater than initially expected and needed further investigations. EPA directed BASF to further study the groundwater and existing soil/sediment fill as a potential sources of contamination rather than a few select areas of the Site. This led to the conclusion that a comprehensive remedy is needed to address the groundwater contamination leaving the Site, not a point source approach. EPA continues working to find ways to make this process faster without sacrificing the necessary steps to fully characterize the cleanup needs and design/ and build effective remedies. EPA is using all the available tools to ensure that this Site is cleaned up as quickly as possible.
Will the Upper Trenton Channel dredging project affect the remedial work at BASF North Works?
BASF is a partner in the Great Lakes Legacy Act Upper Trenton Channel, or UTC, project, which plans to remove contaminated sediment from the Detroit River’s Trenton Channel. EPA’s Corrective Action program and the Great Lakes National Program Office have been working closely to ensure both project schedules are coordinated.
Where can I find out more information about this cleanup?
EPA is posting regular updates online, available on the Corrective Action page for BASF.