Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
BERRIEN COUNTY
ST. JOSEPH

Congressional District # 06

BENDIX CORP./ALLIED AUTOMOTIVE

EPA ID# MID005107222
Last Updated: October, 2006

Site Description

The Bendix Superfund Site is located approximately four miles south of the city of St. Joseph at 3737 Red Arrow Highway in Berrien County, Michigan. The contamination emanates from two source areas located within the boundaries of the former Bendix Automotive plant, now owned and operated by Bosch Braking Systems. During the plant’s history, the chlorinated solvents tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) were disposed of in unlined lagoons, allowing the contaminants to infiltrate vertically and migrate laterally from the source areas. These source areas are approximately one half mile east of the Lake Michigan shore and one quarter mile west of Hickory Creek. The topography at the site is generally flat and covered by buildings and pavement, but to the west the land surface slopes toward the lake, and to the east it slopes toward Hickory Creek, creating a hydrogeological divide with groundwater from the source areas discharging west to Lake Michigan and east to Hickory Creek. The surface geology and water table aquifer are composed of permeable, course-grained, glacial deposits that allow relatively unrestricted infiltration and groundwater flow. There are some 750 homes within three miles of the site, but all within the affected area receive water from the city of St. Joseph’s municipal water system.  

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state and potentially responsible party actions.

Threats and Contaminants

Groundwater is contaminated with various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). People may be at risk if they consume or come into direct contact with contaminated groundwater; however, groundwater is not currently used as a source of drinking water.

Cleanup Progress

A Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was completed under an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), signed in February 1989. Studies conducted by Bendix, U.S. EPA’s Kerr Laboratory, and the University of Michigan concluded that natural attenuation was occurring and effectively limiting the discharge of contaminants into Lake Michigan and Hickory Creek. A Record of Decision (ROD) was signed on September 30, 1997, selecting Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) as the Remedial Action (RA) for both the western and eastern plumes, with Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) added for the eastern plume. The SVE system was started in the summer of 1999, and at least 2,100 pounds of VOCs have been extracted from the eastern source area soils since system start-up; VOC concentrations in the soils have decreased 98%.

The 2004 Five-Year Review indicated that natural attenuation was not fulfilling the objectives stipulated by current MNA guidance. Control measures were never implemented for the source of the western plume, and the discharge of cis-1,2 DCE and vinyl chloride into near-shore Lake Michigan sediments demonstrates that natural attenuation is not progressing to the extent anticipated in the ROD; if natural attenuation alone was effective, a clear trend of decreasing contaminant mass and/or concentration over time would be evident at appropriate monitoring points. In September 2007, U.S. EPA sent Bosch a notice that contaminant concentrations in designated wells were exceeding compliance criteria. This notice required the development of a CRA plan, as provided for in the ROD and the consent decree.

An Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) that presents EPA’s rationale for requiring the installation of a groundwater extraction and treatment system to reduce contaminant loading from the source of the western plume and enhance the effectiveness of natural attenuation was signed on February 19, 2009.  Contaminant concentrations will be reduced by a groundwater extraction and treatment system installed proximal to the source of the western plume. Three extractions wells have been installed in the parking lot north of the Bosch facility. Extracted groundwater will be run through an air stripper to remove VOCs, and the treated water (meeting all applicable state and federal requirements) will be discharged to Hickory Creek. The gasses from the treated groundwater will also be processed by a catalytic oxidation system to reduce volatiles to State air quality standards before they are released to the atmosphere. 

System performance will be based on reductions in contaminant concentrations from baseline conditions established immediately prior to system startup. During system operation, data will be collected to characterize process streams and evaluate the performance of the source mass reduction system. Process data will be used to calculate system operating efficiencies and support regulatory decision making. Target reductions are a 75 percent reduction in groundwater influent concentrations measured at the extraction wells, and a 60 to 75 percent reduction in contaminant concentration leaving the Bosch property, measured at monitoring wells selected for this purpose. Current estimates indicate the system will run 12 to 14 years prior to shutdown, and potentially remove 36,000 to 46,000 pounds of source material. When target reductions are reached, Bosch may petition EPA for authorization to shut the system down. 

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
william ryan (ryan.williamj@epa.gov)
(312) 353-4374

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
bob paulson
(312) 886-0272

Aliases

BENDIX CORP HYDRAULICS
BENDIX CORP/ALLIED AUTOMOTIVE

 

Site Profile Information

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