Gratiot County, Alma, MRP Properties Co, LLC (former Total Petroleum Refinery)

MRP Properties Co., LLC (former Total Petroleum Refinery), Alma, Gratiot County

Webpage Updated: November 19, 2020
Content Updated: October 9, 2020

EGLE Site Lead:
Dale Bridgford
BridgfordD@Michigan.gov

Interactive Map Graphic for MRP Properties - Alma PFAS SiteBackground

MRP Properties Co., LLC (formerly Total Petroleum Refinery) is located at 1610 East Superior Street in Alma. This site operated as a petroleum refinery from approximately 1938 to October 1999. Cleanup on the site for other contaminants began in 1992, then continued under a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Waste Management and Radiological Protection Division (WMRPD) consent order entered in 2003.

There were multiple known fires on-site where AFFF was used to extinguish the fire. This history is why this site was sampled for PFAS.

There is an ordinance that prohibits the installation of new drinking water wells in the city of Alma. Existing wells are grandfathered in. The city of Alma uses the Gratiot Area Water Authority which had tested their municipal water on August 29, 2018 and PFAS was non-detect. The site and the off-site plume are not inside of a wellhead protection area. 

Recent Accomplishments

  • MRP conducted groundwater sampling for PFAS in March and May 2020 and provided the results to EGLE on July 23, 2020.  This sampling included the two Phase 5 intermediate aquifer wells, which were sampled in the March event.  The other primary area sampled was near their slurry wall extension.  All data is available on the interactive site map.

Next Steps

  • Further investigation is temporarily paused due to Covid-19. MRP is evaluating a product at another of their properties that shows potential to eliminate the discharge of PFAS compounds to surface water which they may use in the Horse Creek area.

Residential Well Testing/Alternate Water Information

  • For additional information on residential well testing and results, visit the Frequently Asked Questions.
  • EGLE has sampled all municipal water supplies for PFAS. The city of Alma purchases water from the Gratiot Area Water Authority (GAWA). View the results for GAWA.

Upcoming Community Engagement

  • None scheduled at this time.

Sampling notes

  • Other PFAS analytes were detected in samples. There are no federal or state standards for these analytes.

Historical Timeline

  • On May 22, 2018, MRP sampled 19 groundwater wells as part of their Phase 1 investigation. Samples were collected from various locations around the site.
  • On June 22, 2018, EGLE received the results from MRP’s Phase 1 sampling.
  • On August 18, 2018, MRP sampled 11 groundwater wells as part of their Phase 2 investigation.
  • On September 25, 2018, EGLE received the results from MRP’s Phase 2 sampling.
  • On November 13, 2018, MRP sampled 21 groundwater wells and collected 2 surface water samples as part of their Phase 3 investigation. Phase 3 work included sampling to further delineate where the PFAS plumes exist around the fire-fighting areas, containment cells, and off-site gasoline constituent plume. Sampling also took place adjacent to Horse Creek to evaluate potential groundwater-surface water interface (GSI) issues.
  • On December 14, 2018, EGLE received the results from MRP’s Phase 3 sampling.
  • On February 8, 2019, EGLE received MRP’s Phase 4 Investigation work plan for review and approval.
  • EGLE received a Phase 4 Investigation Work Plan to evaluate PFAS in groundwater to the east near Horse Creek and in the central refinery area where AFFF had been used.
  • Released online web map so citizens can interact with the data.
  • On March 1, 2019, EGLE met with MRP to discuss Phase 4 work and EGLE provided verbal approval.
  • On March 11, 2019, EGLE and MRP's consultants sampled the three wells installed for Phase 4. These wells are located east of Horse Creek. The results for these samples were non-detect for PFOS+PFOA.
  • On April 15, 2019, MRP Properties provided the results from the final Phase 4 sampling to EGLE electronically. Results are shown on the interactive map.
  • The soil boring to determine the geology near the residences east of Horse Creek was completed to a depth of 100 feet.  The aquifer that the residential wells to the east are using was not seen at this location.  This is a line of evidence that the residential wells are isolated from the facility’s impacted groundwater.
  • On August 6, 2019, EGLE met with MRP, DHHS, the Mid-Michigan Health Department to arrange sampling of the four residential wells adjacent to Horse Creek along Lincoln Road by the end of August. 
  • On August 28, 2019, the four residential wells were sampled for the 14 drinking water PFAS compounds.  Results were received from the lab on September 26, 2019 and shared with the public health partners.
  • On December 12, 2019, MRP provided EGLE their Phase 5 PFAS evaluation focused on evaluating an underlying sand in the former wastewater treatment ponds area which EGLE approved on January 16, 2020.  For the Phase 5 Intermediate Aquifer investigation, five double cased borings were installed in mid-February 2020, only two of which had sufficient aquifer material to allow setting of a well. 
  • On December 19, 2019 MRP notified EGLE of the Phase 4A of PFAS sampling results.
  • Sampling: PFOS and PFOA Only

    Type of Sample

    Date Sampled

    # of Samples

    # of Results Received

    # of Non-detects

    # Between Non-detect and standard*

    # > Standard
    Residential Wells Aug 28, 2019 4 4 4 0 0

    Groundwater

    		 May 2018, Aug 2018, Nov 2018; May 2020 127 127 22 49 60
    Surface Water Nov 2018 2 2 0 1 1

    Cumulative

    		   133 133 26 50 61

    *Groundwater results are compared to EGLE Part 201 Criteria of 70 ppt PFOS+PFOA.
    *Surface water results are compared to Rule 57 surface water quality values of 12 ppt (PFOS) and 12,000 ppt (PFOA).
    *Residential well results are compared to the USEPA LHA of 70 ppt PFOS+PFOA.