Charlevoix Municipal Well

Site Information

Charlevoix, MI (Charlevois County)
EPA ID# MID980794390
NPL Site Narrative
NPL Factsheet
Superfund Site Progress Profile

Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Dave Novak (novak.dave@epa.gov)
312-886-7478 or 800-621-8431, ext. 67478

Remedial Project Manager
Matt Ohl
(ohl.matthew@epa.gov)
312-886-4442 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64442

Repositories

(where to view written records)

Charlevoix Public Library
Reference Desk
220 West Clinton St
Charlevoix, MI 49720

Links

EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Background

The city of Charlevoix is located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Round Lake, expanding along the shore of Lake Charlevoix. The population of about 3,000 residents increases to an estimated 30,000 people during the summer months. The original Charlevoix Municipal Well site was on the shore of Lake Michigan and consisted of a municipal well system made of a shallow well connected to a horizontal flume, buried beneath the beach. This well is no longer in use. In 1981, the city was notified by the Michigan Department of Public Health that its water system was contaminated. In response, the city installed four monitoring wells near its municipal well with the assistance of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). In 1982, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) installed nine additional groundwater monitoring wells. In 1982 and 1983, the MDNR conducted several soil boring studies to try to locate the source of contamination. The city installed a system to introduce oxygen into the municipal supply in 1983 to treat the contamination. This aeration system was only partially effective in removing contaminants from the water. In response, U.S. EPA installed a new municipal water supply in 1985 through an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Several sources of contamination have been identified through subsequent investigations. Source areas for the trichloroethylene (TCE) plume included the Charlevoix Middle School between Clinton and Mason Streets. Source areas for the tetrachloroethylene (PCE) plume include the former Art's Dry Cleaners on the corner of Grant & Antrim Sts., The foprmer Hooker's Dry Cleaners on the corner of Bridge & Hurlbut Sts. and the Former Tool & Die Shop on Lincoln Ave between Grant & State Sts.

Site Updates | Fact Sheets || Five-Year Reviews

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Site Updates

November 2012

EPA will share details about soil and ground water sampling results and discuss plans to conduct future sampling during the public availability sessions on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, starting at 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., at the Charlevoix Public Library, 200 Clinton Street.

August 2012

The US Environmental Protection Agency is doing borings in the southwest side of Charlevoix to gather data from both the soil and groundwater in order to get a better and more recent picture of any possible remaining contaminants in the vicinity. The EPA is boring to depths of between 30 and 60 feet and taking both soil and later groundwater samples of the area. The bortings are being done in a basic oval pattern from State and Garfield Streets northwest to highground surrounding the city's Michigan Beach Park. The borings began the week of August 6, 2012 and run through twelve successive days. The borings were done in city rights of way and will be completely covered following the work. Once the sampling results are know, The EPA will analyze to see if additional work or adjustments to the original site remedy are needed. The borings create a small four to six inch depression and hole and contain a small white plastic tubing of a temporaty test well for extracting a water sample. All piping will be removed after the samples have been taken and the holes filled in and covered. Other than a moderate pneumatic hammering and a few pieces of equipment at each boring site, the contractors doing the work are trying to be as intrusive as possible, spending just a few hours at each location while the work is done.

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