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Former McLouth Steel Corp Site

The former McLouth Steel facility originally consisted of approximately 273 acres and operated from about 1950 until 1995. In 1995, McLouth filed for bankruptcy and the property has been transferred to multiple owners between 1996 and 2017. The original property is now split into a 76-acre northern portion presently owned by Riverview-Trenton Railroad Co. (RTRR) and a 197-acre southern portion, most of which is owned by MSC LLC.

For further details see the timeline below:

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is the lead agency overseeing environmental clean-up activities, also called corrective action, occurring at the 76-acre northern portion of the site owned by RTRR. EGLE will use the information collected during the first phase of the corrective action to help determine if additional corrective action is needed.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is the lead agency overseeing environmental clean-up activities occurring at the 197-acre southern portion of the site. Find more information from U.S. EPA on the McLouth Steel Corp. Superfund Website.

EGLE and U.S. EPA have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that provides a process for the agencies to coordinate clean-up activities across the site.

Contacts

Rich Conforti, EGLE, Supervisor
ConfortiR@Michigan.gov
517-275-1649

Oonagh McKenna, EGLE, Project Manager
McKennaO@Michigan.gov
517-643-5324

Corrective Actions

  • Phase I documents have been received and are posted below. These were required by the Phase I Corrective Action Consent Order for the facility. EGLE is currently using the information from these to build an enforcement referral to generate a Phase II Corrective Action Consent Order for more remedial action.

    Work Plans

    Work plans pursuant to the CACO have been approved by EGLE. The documents can be found below, and public comment period was closed May 17, 2019.

    Questions can be referred via email to Rich Conforti, Supervisor, Engineering and Program Support Unit, Hazardous Waste Section, Materials Management Division (MMD), at ConfortiR@Michigan.gov (preferred) or mailed to:

    Rich Conforti
    Materials Management Division
    Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
    P.O. Box 30241
    Lansing, Michigan 48909-7741

     

    New Area of Interest Draft Work Plan

    The Area of Interest Interim Measures Work Plan is in response to the identification of a New Area of Interest at the northwest portion of the RTRR property. EGLE MMD staff conducted an inspection, and collected samples on March 15th, 2023, after receiving information from a community member. It appeared that the recent excavation to extend the existing railroad exposed shallow groundwater that has been in contact with buried calcium hydroxide waste. The MMD notified RTRR of the results on March 16th, 2023, and required immediate action to protect the community from potential human exposure. RTRR installed fencing to prevent people from accessing the site. A second sampling event was conducted by MMD staff on March 29th, 2023, after observing a substance exhibiting a milky appearance seeping into Monguagon Creek (Huntington Creek) from the western shoreline during the first sampling event. Based on the data collected from these inspections and sampling events MMD has determined that the northwest area of the site is a New Area of Interest, and an Interim Measures Work Plan is required to address the high pH liquid in the excavation area and propose actions to immediately prevent the discharge of high pH groundwater into Monguagon Creek. The work plan has been reviewed by EGLE’s MMD and approved with several modifications including revising the work plan to include proposed actions to immediately prevent the discharge of impacted groundwater into Monguagon Creek.

    New Area of Interest Interim Measures Draft Work Plan

    RTRR Interim Measures Work Plan Approval with Modifications

     

    Consent Order

    EGLE and RTRR entered into a Consent Order, called a Corrective Action Consent Order, or CACO. Pursuant to the CACO, RTRR will undertake certain corrective actions within the approximately 76-acres that comprise the northern portion of the former McLouth Steel Corp facility.

    RTRR has agreed to do the following:

    • Perform the first phase of the corrective action (environmental investigation and response activities) that includes investigation of the five known waste management units, or WMUs, on the northern portion of the site.
    • Clean up the WMUs if needed.
    • Investigate groundwater contamination.
    • Control dust.
    • Evaluate stormwater management options to eliminate flow to the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River.

    EGLE will use the information collected during the first phase of the corrective action and other sources to help determine if additional phases of corrective action are necessary.

How to Stay Connected

To receive periodic updates from EGLE on the RTRR, northern portion of the former McLouth facility via email, go to Michigan.gov/EGLEConnect and subscribe to the Former McLouth Property/Riverview-Trenton Railroad North Parcel list.. 

More information on the Southern portion can be found here: U.S. EPA McLouth Steel Corp Reports and Documents