News Releases from Region 05

EPA, MDEQ to discuss Muskegon Lake sediment cleanup at March 15 public meeting in Muskegon, Mich.

CHICAGO (March 13, 2018) − U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting on March 15 to discuss the ongoing Great Lakes Legacy Act cleanup at the former Zephyr Oil Refinery on Holton Road in Muskegon, Mich. EPA and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will summarize last year’s work and preview the next phase.

The former refinery is in the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern which the United States and Canada identified as one of 43 toxic hotspots in the Great Lakes basin. Lead and petroleum releases from the former refinery have contaminated sediment along Muskegon Lake.

This spring, EPA and MDEQ will remove approximately 44,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from wetlands and a former fire suppression ditch. Because the sediment has a strong petroleum odor, EPA’s contractors will monitor air quality and take measures to control odor during the removal. EPA and MDEQ will visit nearby residences to provide information and answer questions on March 14 -15.

Federal and state representatives will also be available to answer questions at the public meeting:

When:            6:00 pm, Thursday, March 15

Where:          Reeths-Puffer Intermediate Café
                     1500 N. Getty Street, Muskegon
 

For more information about the meeting, contact Heather Williams, EPA Project Manager, at 312-886-5993 or williams.heather@epa.gov.