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Texas Township Drum Site
Site Information
- Texas Township, MI (Kalamazoo County)
- EPA ID# MIN000510313
- CERCLIS listing
- Photos
Contact Information
Community Involvement Coordinator
Don de Blasio (deblasio.don@epa.gov)
312-886-4360 or 800-621-8431, ext. 64360
On-Scene Coordinator
P. C. Lall (lall.partap@epa.gov)
734-692-7685
Background
Emergency responders became aware of the potential danger after a fire August 20, 2008. During an investigation, first responders discovered charred drums stacked in the pole-barn and contacted the EPA Emergency Response Branch. The investigation revealed charred 55-gallon drums containing various hazardous materials and biological waste in the pole barn, along a trail on the property and in a recently excavated pit.
Site Updates | Latest update | Fact Sheets || Public Meetings
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Site Updates
October 2008
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun removing about 500 drums full of laboratory and industrial chemicals from a farm at 10135 W. O Ave, Texas Township, Michigan.
The drums were damaged in a fire while stored in a pole barn at the property. Federal, state and local emergency response teams have determined that there is no immediate danger to nearby residents and the environment, but there is a potential threat if the materials are allowed to remain on-site.
Six of the drums contain radioactive material and will be sent to a disposal site licensed to accept radioactive waste. They are being handled separately.
The cleanup process will include identifying materials in the drums to be sure they are packaged and disposed of properly. In addition to radioactive materials, a preliminary assessment has determined that the drums contain a variety of hazardous chemicals, mercury and biological waste in three areas of the property. Some of the drums contain materials that are incompatible with each other and could react if moved improperly. Air monitoring is continuing in all three areas.
Cleanup costs have reached about $350,000 so far. EPA will investigate how and why the drums were stored at the farm.
News Releases
- U.S. EPA-MDEQ update meeting on Texas Township, Mich., drum site cleanup, April 16, 6:30 p.m. April 2 2009
- U.S. EPA: $1 million Texas Township hazardous drum cleanup nearly complete December 22, 2008
- EPA meeting on Texas Township Superfund cleanup Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m. October 15, 2008
Fact Sheets
- Cleanup of Chemicals Finished; Ground-water Monitoring Next (PDF) (1pg, 94K) April 2009
- EPA Begins Removing Drums Filled With Chemicals (PDF) (1pg, 77K) October 2008
Public Meetings
- Remedial Investigation Findings Presentation (PDF) (38pp, 1.52MB) April 2009
- Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department presentation 4-16-09 (PDF) (6pp, 156K) April 16, 2009
- O Avenue Texas Township E.R. Site slideshow (PDF) (24pp, 1.2MB) Slides presented October 20, 2008
- EPA held a meeting to discuss its activities at the Texas Township Drum site on October 21, 2008.