Introduction

Welcome to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) website. This website was designed as an information source regarding the environmental contamination in the Kingsford-Breitung Township area caused by the historical operations of Ford Motor Company (FORD) and Kingsford Products Company (KPC).

From 1921 through 1951, FORD operated a plant in Kingsford that produced wooden automobile body parts, and gliders. The plant generated approximately 400 tons of scrap wood daily. To utilize the scrap wood, a wood carbonization and distillation plant was put into operation. The wood carbonization plant produced charcoal and briquettes, while the distillation plant produced several commercial chemical products, including methanol, acetates, acetone, alcohols and ketones. FORD ceased its manufacturing operations at the site in 1951. In that same year, the plant was sold to KPC's corporate predecessor, Kingsford Chemical. Kingsford Chemical continued operation of the wood carbonization and distillation plant until its closure in 1961.

From the 1920s through 1961, FORD and KPC dumped hazardous substances from their wood distillation operations in pits in the Kingsford area. The hazardous substances dumped by FORD and KPC resulted in a massive contamination plume that is discharging acutely toxic groundwater into the Menominee River. Degradation of these organic contaminants present in the groundwater has resulted in the generation of methane gas which led to the explosion of a Kingsford residence in 1995.

FORD and KPC have a legal obligation to clean up, or remediate, the hazardous substances in accordance with the State of Michigan's environmental laws. These remediation obligations include controlling the discharge of acutely toxic groundwater to the Menominee River by collecting and treating the toxic groundwater, managing direct contact hazards associated with the dumping areas, identifying and migrating potential explosive hazards from methane, and developing and implementing a plan to comprehensively address all risks created by their release of hazardous substances.

At the request of the MDEQ, FORD and KPC began interim response activities intented to protect public health, safety and the environment. These interim response activities include: mitigating unacceptable risks from all direct contact hazards associated with the hazardous substances present within their former dump areas; construction of a groundwater extraction system along the Menominee River, and a treatment facility to intercept the discharge of acutely toxic groundwater venting into the river and treating that captured water; and mitigating unacceptable risks posed by methane gas.

To ensure that the work continues in timely and comprehensive manner, and to assure compliance with state law, the MDEQ, FORD and KPC reached an agreement in October 2004 on a Consent Judgment. The Consent Judgment will build on the work FORD and KPC have already undertaken, and provide a basis for the long-term environmental response and monitoring actions at the site.

The MDEQ intends that this website will help clarify issues or addresses public concerns related to ongoing activities at the site. If you have any comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact the MDEQ project manager at any time (see For More Information).