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NPL Site Narrative for Barrels, Inc.
BARRELS, INC.
Lansing, Michigan
Federal Register Notice: October 4, 1989Conditions at proposal (January 22, 1987): The Barrels, Inc., Site covers 1.8 acres at 1404 North Larch Street in the city limits of Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. The company recycled drums on the property, which it leased from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Co. from 1964 to 1981.
Barrels, Inc., allegedly dumped waste residues from drums directly onto the ground as an initial step in recycling the drums. According to tests conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) in 1983, shallow ground water is contaminated with 1,2-dichloroethane. The shallow contaminated aquifer is hydraulically connected to the deep Saginaw Formation, so that water can move between them. The shallow and deep aquifers provide drinking water to the 133,000 residents of Lansing and Holt via municipal wells within 3 miles of the site. The nearest well is 800 feet away.
The nearest downslope surface water, Grand River, is 1,800 feet from the site. The Grand River, which is a fishing stream, is potentially threatened by conditions at the site. The areas along the river are a habitat for the Indiana bat, designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an endangered species.
In January 1986, MDNR gained access to the site from a State court. MDNR has approved $449,589 under the Michigan Environmental Response Act for removal and disposal of barrels, debris, contaminated soil, and buried tanks. All drums, 1,001 yards of visibly contaminated soil, and nine underground tanks have been removed and sent to an EPA-regulated hazardous waste disposal facility. One underground tank and two tanks in the building have been pumped out.
Activities remaining include: removal of additional soil, some crushed drums, resins, nonhazardous and hazardous liquids, nonhazardous solids, and additional buried tanks. Soil sampling is underway to determine the extent of soil contamination. Sample results showed that some additional soil needs to be removed.
Status (October 4, 1989): The State is seeking to recover the costs of its initial cleanup.
Additional soil sampling determined that more soil needs to be removed.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.