PCB CLEANUP PLANNING CONTINUES NEAR TROWBRIDGE DAM

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working with NCR Corporation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to remove PCB contaminated sediment and soil along the Kalamazoo River near the Trowbridge Dam in Trowbridge Township.

This year, EPA will continue surveying and sampling sediment and soil to define the extent of the PCB contamination to be removed. This summer, crews will be clearing land and preparing a staging area for equipment and materials at the 26th Street boat launch.

Planning and preparations are also underway for construction of a temporary water control structure to manage river levels during the cleanup. Last year, workers completed removal of a power pole on the dam and relocated high voltage power lines to allow access for safe construction activity. EPA plans to remove the water control structure and the remaining structures of the dam at the end of the project.

EPA expects that dredging of sediment and soils will begin in 2022 and that final dam removal will take place in 2024.

The project will address a 2.4-mile area of PCB-contaminated sediment and soil immediately upstream of the Trowbridge Dam. This portion of the Kalamazoo River is in what EPA calls Area 4 of Operable Unit 5 at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. The project may take three or more years to complete.

Please see factsheet for more information, https://semspub.epa.gov/work/05/965621.pdf

For ongoing updates, please visit response.epa.gov/trowbridgedam

EPA continues investigation and cleanup at the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. You're getting this update from EPA's listserv because you have indicated your interest in keeping up with cleanup progress. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/superfund/allied-paper-kalamazoo or contact Community Involvement Coordinator Diane Russell at 989-395-3493 or russell.diane@epa.gov. To unsubscribe, send a blank message to: kalamazoo-unsubscribe@lists.epa.gov