News Releases from Region 05

EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan for Allied Paper Landfill in Kalamazoo

For immediate release      No. 16-OPA041

CHICAGO (Oct. 20, 2016) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the final cleanup plan for Allied Paper Landfill in Kalamazoo, Mich., after considering public comment on the remedy. The landfill is part of the larger Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site which spans Allegan and Kalamazoo counties.

As EPA designs and implements the remedy, it will consider potential reuse and redevelopment of the site. The cleanup involves removing contaminated soils from sections of the landfill next to Portage Creek and consolidating them into the center of the landfill. This will prevent erosion and the re-release of contaminants into the creek.

As a part of the cleanup, an impermeable cap will be installed over the landfill to cut off the exposure pathways– protecting human health and the environment. A groundwater monitoring network will help EPA evaluate the protectiveness of the remedy over time.

Paper mills built in the late 1800’s along the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries operated until the 1980’s. From the mid-1950’s through the 1970’s, the mills released polychlorinated biphenyls into the river during the paper recycling process. The ink used in carbonless copy paper was contaminated with PCBs. In August 1990, EPA added the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site to the National Priorities List.

For more information: www.epa.gov/superfund/allied-paper-kalamazoo

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