Former Teledyne Vehicle Systems (TDY) (Muskegon, Muskegon County)

Evin Maguire, MaguireE@Michigan.gov, 517-388-3535.

The Former TDY Vehicle Systems (currently L3Harris Technologies, Inc.) located at 76 Getty Street, has manufactured military components like tank engines and transmissions since the 1940s. Historic operations have resulted in significant releases of chlorinated solvents and petroleum products, as well as smaller releases of metals, semi-volatile organic compounds, and polychlorinated biphenyls at the site. In order to control migration of this contamination, site groundwater has been pumped by a network of purge wells and discharged to the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System (MCWMS) since the mid-1980s. In November 2019, samples collected by the MCWMS documented PFOS concentrations in the purge water over 12 ppt. MCWMS requested a plan to eliminate this exceedance in purge water. The facility subsequently sampled 13 purge wells and identified a subset which were contributing to this exceedance, the highest PFOS concentration of which was 34 ppt. The facility proposed the cessation of pumping at the subset of purge wells. EGLE approved this proposal, with the condition that existing groundwater/surface water interface (GSI) compliance monitoring wells for solvent contamination, be sampled quarterly for PFAS and other site contaminants, to ensure that PFAS and other contaminants of concern do not discharge at the GSI above criteria.

Groundwater flow at the site is to the north, toward the South Branch of the Muskegon River; to the south, toward Four Mile Creek; and to the west, toward Sanford Bayou. However, site groundwater has been controlled by a network of on-site purge wells since the mid-1980s. This purge well network has been historically used to prevent solvent contaminated groundwater from leaving the site. In response to the discovery of PFOS over 12 ppt, seven of the northern purge wells have been turned off. A network of previously existing GSI monitoring wells are being monitored for PFAS compounds and other site contaminants on a quarterly basis to ensure PFAS compounds and other site contaminants are not leaving the site above applicable Part 201 GSI criteria.

Groundwater on site is not used for drinking or production purposes. Contaminated groundwater is controlled on site. The area is served by the city of Muskegon municipal drinking water system.

Content posted January 2021.

The area is served by municipal water, however, EGLE is verifying with local health that there are no nearby residential wells.

PFAS and other site related contamination monitoring of GSI monitoring wells and purge well discharge will continue on a quarterly basis.