Traverse City Record-Eagle

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    EPA superfund site
March 19, 2008

EPA to start Norris project

BY BRIAN MCGILLIVARY

TRAVERSE CITY -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency won't wait another 90 days for Norris Elementary School to close before it begins excavating 11,000 tons of contaminated soil from an adjoining Superfund site.

A public meeting is set for tonight so EPA can explain its process, but Norris parents like Andrew LaPointe don't seem worried over pending excavation plans.

"I can't imagine they would be putting our children in harm's way," he said.

Parent John Turnquist also is putting his trust in the federal agency.

"Preferably, I'd rather have them wait until June, but if they feel it's safe, then so do we," Turnquist said.

Contamination underneath a former laundry and dry cleaning building that housed Grand Traverse Overall Supply Co. was first detected in 1996. The EPA began clean-up at the site off Cherry Bend Road in Leelanau County in 2005.

The federal agency intends to begin excavation at the end of March instead of waiting until Norris is permanently closed in June due to school consolidation.

EPA rules require the agency to use site funding by September or lose it, said EPA on-scene coordinator Michelle Jaster. If the agency waits until summer when disposal costs and hotel rates for crews are higher, EPA might run out of money to get the work done here, Jaster said.

"We also generally prefer to do this work in the colder months because the odor issues are much less than in the summer," Jaster said.

EPA officials will answer questions and explain their strategy during a public presentation at 6:30 p.m. today in the Norris cafeteria.

Traverse City Area Public School officials asked EPA to hold off work until Norris closed, but acknowledged the funding constraints.

"I'm actually glad they will finally be getting this done; it's been going on for a long time," said Rod Lowes, TCAPS director of safety and environment.

Lowes said EPA cooperated by scheduling the most hazardous work while school was not in session, and the agency took significant precautions to keep contaminants away from the school.

The EPA demolished the old dry cleaners during Christmas break and will remove most of the contaminated soil during the upcoming spring break. It will excavate to a depth of about 10 feet and use water-misting to control dust and a vapor extraction system to catch evaporating contaminants.

The soil is contaminated with dry cleaning chemicals tetrachloroethylene, better known as PCE, and trichloroethylene, or TCE. The EPA said both products have the potential to cause cancer and liver damage in humans, depending on exposure.

Contractors will fill the hole with clean sand and may repave the site with asphalt. The project is expected to take five weeks.

Long term, EPA also will continue to use its vapor extraction system and plans to pump and treat contaminated groundwater.

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