EPA completes cleanup at the Barrels Inc. Superfund site in Lansing, Michigan
CHICAGO (March 12, 2021) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the completion of its soil cleanup at the Barrels Inc. Superfund site, a former drum reclamation facility, at 1404 North Larch St. in Lansing, Michigan.
“Finishing this lengthy and intensive cleanup is a major accomplishment, and great news for Lansing residents because it sets the stage for EPA to remove Barrels Inc. from Superfund’s National Priorities list of the most contaminated sites in the United States,” said EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator Cheryl Newton. “Thanks to EPA’s hard work over the years to remove contamination, there will soon be an opportunity to return to this site to productive reuse in the community.”
"Cleanup of contaminated sites in Michigan is a top priority for the state," said Liesl Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). "Removal of Barrels Inc. from the Superfund list transitions the site into a maintenance phase that ensures protection of the environment and public health in Michigan. EGLE remains committed to long-term monitoring of the site and will continue five-year reviews."
Barrels Inc. operated a drum reclamation facility at the Lansing site from 1961 until 1980, when work stopped and the company abandoned its process involved cleaning drums in a caustic solution, followed by rinsing, repairing, and repainting the drums for reuse. Surface soil was contaminated by spills and leaks at the loading dock, drum areas and from a tank used to store the cleaning solution.
EPA added the Barrels Inc. site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1989, and later designated it as a state-lead enforcement site. Spills from site operations contaminated surface soil with metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls and cyanide. Cleanup at the site was conducted in phases and included the removal and off-site disposal of approximately 1,000 drums, nine underground storage tanks, and more than 13,000 tons of contaminated soil.
The next step is for EPA to propose to delist the site from the NPL in May 2021.
For more information visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/barrels.
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