The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to hold a virtual public meeting Nov. 30 to address contamination concerns at Adam’s Plating Superfund site in Lansing, Michigan.
The gathering comes in the midst of the EPA's 30-day public comment period on the issue that runs through Dec. 15.
The Plating Superfund site was previously used by a dry cleaning business to store fluid in an underground storage tank. In 1964 electroplating operations commenced at the location. In 1994 the EPA completed construction activities at the site that allowed for the removal of contaminated soil and the installation of barriers.
The Adam’s Plating electroplating business remained open for business at the site until late 2010 when a fire destroyed the building. The fire caused the release of chemicals that had been stored at the facility, and EPA returned to the site to perform an emergency cleanup.
Early on EPA officials working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and have proposed an interim cleanup plan for the area at 521 N. Rosemary St., Lansing. The proposal is part of an overall plan aimed at addressing potential exposure to contamination from vapors released from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are sometimes trapped in the groundwater and soil beneath the site.
Specifics of the EPA’s new plan include installing pipes into the basement floor of a residential property next to the Adam’s Plating site. With the pipes vented through the outside of the building, the plan calls for them to passively carry the contaminated vapors from underneath the building to the outside. The agency is also proposing a move to institute property restrictions that would require the incorporation of vapor mitigation equipment into the construction of any new structures.
