The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has reached a settlement that secures the reimbursement of more than $525,000 in costs incurred by the department to investigate contamination from the former Handy Things Manufacturing Company property in Ludington. The settlement with Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, the corporate successor to Handy Things Manufacturing, also requires the company to address existing soil and groundwater contamination at the site and includes provisions to prevent any unacceptable exposures to the contaminants.

Soil and groundwater in the area are contaminated with volatile organic compounds, chromium, zinc, cyanide, and other metal plating materials from past manufacturing practices. While the former Handy Things Manufacturing Company is one source of the contamination in this area, two other contributing sources include: (1) the former Industrial Plating and Manufacturing, Inc., property (formerly known as the Ludington Plating Company), and (2) the Straits Steel and Wire Company property. Both properties are owned by Straits Steel and Wire.

The DNRE and Department of Attorney General are actively negotiating with Straits Steel and Wire at this time to reach a similar settlement regarding contamination that is attributable to Straits Steel and Wire Company activities.

The recovery of the State of Michigan's response activity costs from persons or companies who are responsible for contamination helps ensure that taxpayers are not ultimately responsible for paying cleanup costs when a liable party exists. Money received from settlements is used to help finance Michigan's environmental cleanup program which enables the State to undertake cleanup actions at contaminated sites where no viable party exists to protect the environment and public health, and facilitate economic redevelopment of former contaminated sites.

Editor's note: DNRE environmental news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"