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MacDermid Inc. (Ferndale, Oakland County)

MacDermid Inc. (Ferndale, Oakland County)

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Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of this site.

EGLE site lead

Tianna Kilgore, KilgoreT@Michigan.gov or 517-230-4395.

Background

MacDermid Inc. (MacDermid) is located at 1221 Farrow Street in Ferndale. MacDermid is a small chemical manufacturing and warehouse facility regulated as a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (RCRA), treatment, storage, and disposal facility. MacDermid is currently conducting corrective action. PFAS has been used in the manufacturing of some of their products.

PFAS were sampled for as part of a current RCRA corrective action investigation based on and knowledge that PFAS were used on-site in the manufacturing process.

Contamination appears limited to the immediate area of two former wastewater lagoons. The contaminated shallow groundwater is perched and discontinuous, meaning it is not mobile. Deep groundwater, which is separated from the shallow groundwater by approximately 90 feet of clay, likely flows toward the Rogue and/or Detroit River. Stormwater runoff from the paved portions of the contaminated area is captured and treated by an on-site wastewater treatment plant before discharge to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) under an Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) permit. The unpaved grassy portions of the contaminated area largely slope towards the facility, and stormwater from this area is understood to be minimal, being largely absorbed by the soil. The facility has a "Groundwater Not in an Aquifer" designation, which effectively prevents use of site groundwater as a drinking water source.

Content posted June 2021.

MacDermid Inc. Map

Site map

See an aerial view of the location of the site.

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Drinking water

There are no drinking water wells within one mile (minimum) of the site. The facility has a "Groundwater Not in an Aquifer" designation, which effectively prevents use of site groundwater as a drinking water source. Drinking water in the area is provided by the city of Ferndale municipal drinking water system. EGLE has sampled all municipal water supplies for PFAS. The city of Ferndale purchases water from GLWA. View the results for GLWA.

Anticipated activities

EGLE will review the April 21, 2021, workplan revisions submitted by MacDermid to ensure that the proposed remedies are protective of all potential exposure pathways. MacDermid will respond to the remaining issues detailed in EGLE's March 22, 2021 notice of deficiency by late July. MacDermid is working with the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) to develop and implement a plan to manage the elevated levels of PFAS in their wastewater effluent.

Historical timeline

    • On August 27, 2018, as part of EGLE's proactive Industrial Pretreatment Program, MacDermid collected samples of their wastewater effluent. PFOS was identified in the wastewater being sent from MacDermid to the GLWA for treatment.
    • On October 3, 2018, MacDermid collected two samples from groundwater monitoring wells located at the base of two small former wastewater lagoons.
    • On October 11, 2018, EGLE received the results from MacDermid for the groundwater sampling. The highest result was 18,570 ppt PFOS+PFOA and 34,840 ppt Total Tested PFAS.
    • On December 4, 2018, results from the effluent tested as part of the IPP program were received by EGLE. The effluent tested at 1,600 ppt PFOS, 31 ppt PFOA, and 205,277 ppt Total Tested PFAS. MacDermid is working with the GLWA to develop a plan to manage the elevated levels of PFAS in MacDermid's WWTP effluent.
    • Early December 2018, MacDermid began carrying out their interim measures work plan, which had been reviewed and approved by EGLE. The interim measures included excavation of the source area (the two small former wastewater lagoons). 
    • On April 25, 2019, MacDermid submitted a Soil Excavation Remediation Summary Report to EGLE, which details the lagoon excavation interim measures work performed. EGLE is currently reviewing this report, which also provides the results of soil samples taken after excavation was completed.
    • In early 2019, MacDermid completed excavation of two former on-site wastewater lagoons.
    • On April 25, 2019, MacDermid provided EGLE with a Soil Excavation Remediation Summary Report.
    • On February 10, 2020, MacDermid submitted a supplemental PFAS soil sampling work plan, which was subsequently approved on February 19, 2020. The sampling was conducted on February 24, 2020.
    • On April 9, 2020, MacDermid submitted a draft workplan to restrict exposures to and exacerbation of contamination at the facility. The workplan included a report summarizing the results of the environmental sampling work performed to-date.

    Historical Sampling Chart: Data is reflective of criteria prior to August 3, 2020,  PFOS and PFOA Only

    This chart reflects data received prior to August 3, 2020.

    Type of Sample

    Date Sampled (or Range)

    Number of Samples

    Number of Results Received

    		 Number of Non-Detects  Number Between Non-detect and Standard*  Number Greater Than or Equal to Standard 

    Groundwater

    		October 3, 2018 2 2 0 0 2
    Surface Water (WWTP Effluent) August 27, 2018 1 1 0 0 1
     Cumulative   3 3 0 0 3
    *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).?
    • On March 22, 2021, EGLE issued a notice of deficiency regarding MacDermid's draft workplan to address on-site contamination.  This notice directed MacDermid to make various modifications to the workplan.
    • On April 21, 2021, MacDermid submitted a partial response to EGLE's notice of deficiency, including revisions to the draft workplan.

      Sampling Notes

      • Other PFAS analytes were detected in samples. There are no federal or state standards for these analytes.
      • Soil sample results from the April 25, 2019 Soil Excavation Remediation Summary Report ranged from <29 to 17,000 ppt PFOS and <110 to 1,100 ppt PFOA. Soil sample data is compared to state Groundwater Surface Water Interface (GSI) Protection criteria.
      • Soil sample results from a February 24, 2020, sampling event ranged from <31 to 25,000 ppt PFOS and 120 to 3,500 ppt PFOA.