EPA plans to clean up contaminated material in Area 2, the stretch of the Kalamazoo River between the Otsego City Dam and the former Plainwell Dam, of the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. The plan details EPA recommended cleanup options which include consolidating and capping material containing PCBs and other contaminants, Gun River excavation, and river channel realignment. See the presentation from the Aaea 2 proposed plan public meeting. (PDF) (42 pp, 9.33MB)

Kalamazoo River Proposed Plan Public Comment:

Comment on a proposed cleanup plan for Area 2 of the Kalamazoo River for the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site through August 30, 2017. There are several ways for you to share your comments with us:

• Use the Kalamazoo River proposed cleanup plan comment form
• E-mail your comments directly to Diane Russell (russell.diane@epa.gov)
• Submit written comments, postmarked by Wed., Aug.30 to: Diane Russell, 1300 Bluff St., Suite 140, Flint, MI 48504

Fact Sheet: EPA Proposed Cleanup for Area 2 of Kalamazoo River (PDF) (10pp, 1.71MB)

EPA Proposed Plan OU 5, Area 2 (PDF)(60 pp, 5.98 MB)

What do you think about EPA’s community involvement efforts at the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River site? Let us know by completing the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Site Customer Satisfaction Survey.

The Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site is located in Allegan and Kalamazoo Counties, Michigan. The site includes soil and sediment contamination in disposal areas, paper mill properties, about 80 miles of the Kalamazoo River (from Morrow Dam to Lake Michigan), adjacent riverbanks and contiguous floodplains, as well as a 3-mile stretch of Portage Creek. EPA has identified six areas, or operable units (OUs), requiring cleanup. Cleanup has taken place at three of the six areas; operation and maintenance activities and groundwater monitoring are ongoing at these locations. Final cleanup decisions have not been made at the remaining three OUs.  However, several interim cleanup actions have been conducted.

At this time, the site is divided into six cleanup projects known as operable units (OUs):

• OU #1, Allied Paper Property/Bryant Mill Pond Area;
• OU #2, Willow Boulevard and A-Site Landfill;
• OU #3, King Highway Landfill;
• OU #4, 12th Street Landfill;
• OU #5, Portage Creek and Kalamazoo River sediments; and
• OU #7, Plainwell Mill