Du-Wel Bangor, located at 101 Cemetery Road, is a former zinc die cast facility that conducted manufacturing, buffing, grinding, polishing, electroplating of copper, nickel and chrome, and painting operations for the automotive and appliance industry. While the plant was operating, plating wastes were treated in concrete wastewater treatment pits. The treated waste was discharged to the Black River/Mill Pond. The property was operational from 1946 until 2001, when the plant closed and machinery and plating lines were removed and the wastewater treatment pits filled. In 1997, cleanup activities were conducted at the Black River/Mill Pond and the Du-Wel facility, including an investigation of soil and groundwater contamination, removal of contaminated soils, installation of a groundwater remediation system, operation of a soil vapor extraction system (SVE), and remediation of sediments in the Mill Pond. The on-site buildings were destroyed in a chemical fire in 2011.
In the spring of 2025, EGLE sampled six groundwater monitoring wells onsite for PFAS, as well as a surface water sample at the outfall leading into the Mill Pond. Multiple wells exceeded criteria for PFOS and PFOA, as well as the surface water sample at the outfall into the Mill Pond. The highest concentrations were 350 ppt PFOS (compared to 16 ppt), and 68 ppt PFOA (compared to 8 ppt). Groundwater flow is assumed to be north towards the Black River.
View an aerial image of the site.
This app provides access to multiple datasets from Michigan’s PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), including data on official sites, surface water, public water supplies, and fish sampling.
EGLE, DHHS, and local health have reviewed residential well logs and determined there are no active wells to sample downgradient of the site. The area is served by municipal water.
Dylan Schuberg, SchubergD1@Michigan.gov or 269-251-3907
