Skip to main content
Petro-Chem Processing Group of Nortru, LLC (Petro-Chem) (Detroit, Wayne County)

Petro-Chem Processing Group of Nortru, LLC (Petro-Chem) (Detroit, Wayne County)

Disclaimer: Web content may not be routinely updated on this page.

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

Petro-Chem is located at 421 Lycaste Street, on about 8.5 acres of industrial land. Parts of the facility historically operated as a refinery. The facility currently conducts licensed hazardous waste fuel blending, and tank and container storage operations. The facility also stores pharmaceutical waste at this location. Used solvents, rags, fuel sludges, and tank bottoms are trans-shipped, blended into a hazardous waste alternative fuel for use in cement kilns, or commingled and shipped off-site for further treatment or disposal.

Petro-Chem is conducting corrective action cleanup, pursuant to their operating license. Due to legacy, and current operations, PFAS has been included in on-site groundwater investigations. Petro-Chem has sampled four of the 12 on-site monitoring wells for PFAS compounds. PFAS compounds were detected in all four of the monitoring wells sampled, with three wells displaying concentrations above applicable water quality standards.

Groundwater flow is divided across the site; this divide runs roughly north/south and is encountered near the center of the site. Shallow groundwater flows easterly to the east of the divide and westerly to the west of the divide. Groundwater is not used as a drinking water source in the City of Detroit, and there are no known drinking water wells within several miles of the facility. The City of Detroit drinking water intake on Lake St. Claire is upstream of the facility.

Concentrations of PFAS above Part 201 Groundwater-Surface Water Interface (GSI) Criteria reaching the Detroit River is the primary pathway of concern. The Detroit River is approximately a half mile south of this site.

Content posted October 2022.

Petro-Chem PFAS Investigation Results Map

Site map

See an aerial view of the location of the site.

Expand the map

Drinking water

The area is supplied by municipal water. EGLE is working with the local health department to confirm there are no residential wells in the area.

Anticipated activities

Petro-Chem is developing a work plan to investigate off-site groundwater.

Historical timeline

    • On October 29, 2019, Petro-Chem's contractor sampled four existing groundwater monitoring wells at the site for PFAS analysis.
    • On January 22, 2020 EGLE received the results for the sampling conducted in October 2019.  PFAS concentrations were detected above Part 201 drinking water criteria and above GSI criteria at two of four locations. The highest groundwater result was 166 ng/L for PFOS+PFOA. One location, MW-8, exceeded the proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) with a detected concentration of 36 ppt.
    • On February 6, 2020, EGLE requested that Petro-Chem develop a workplan detailing how they will perform additional investigations in order to better delineate the on-site extent of PFAS and determine if PFAS concentrations are migrating off-site above Part 201 GSI criteria.
    • On February 13, 2020, a webinar was held with a follow-up meeting held in Detroit on March 5, 2020. These two events were conducted to update residents and other interested parties on all aspects of on-site investigation and cleanup, including a PFAS update.
    • On March 5, 2020, the follow-up meeting to the February 13, 2020 meeting was held.
    • On May 29, 2020, Petro-Chem submitted a workplan to delineate the extent of PFAS on-site and to determine if PFAS concentrations are migrating off-site above Part 201 GSI criteria. Investigation of utility corridors adjacent to the facility (believed to be the primary conduit for contaminated groundwater to migrate off-site) will be prioritized.

    Sampling Results: PFOS and PFOA Only

    Type of Sample

    Date Sampled

    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 2019 4 4 1 1 2
    Cumulative 4 4 1 1 2

    *Groundwater results are compared to EGLE Part 201 Criteria of 70 ppt PFOS+PFOA.

    • On September 3, 2020, EGLE approved the Corrective Action Investigation Work Plan for PFAS submitted by Petro-Chem.
    • On December 8, 2020,. Petro-Chem submitted a PFAS Groundwater Sampling Report per the approved Corrective Action Work Plan.
    • On July 29, 2021, EGLE requested additional PFAS investigation to determine the extent of off-site PFAS impacts to groundwater.

    Sampling Results Summary

    Type of Sample

    Date Sampled
    (or range)

    Numberof Sample
    Results Received

    Number of Samples
    Above Criteria*

    Groundwater
    Monitoring Wells

    		 October 2019 - October 2020 11 10

    * Residential well and groundwater monitoring well results are compared to EGLE Part 201 criteria for 7 PFAS compounds:  PFOS (16 ppt), PFOA (8 ppt), PFNA (6 ppt), PFHxS (51 ppt), PFHxA (400,000 ppt), PFBS (420 ppt), and HFPO-DA (370 ppt).

           Sampling Notes

    • On August 3, 2020, new Part 201 Criteria went into effect.  Historical sampling data compared to Part 201 Criteria >70 is captured in the historical timeline below.