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Cadillac Industrial Park Area of Interest (Cadillac, Wexford County)

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

EGLE site lead

Megan Cynar, CynarM@Michigan.gov or 517-256-2681

Brandi Wheeler, WheelerB5@Michigan.gov or 231-878-8066

Background

The Cadillac Industrial Park Area is made up of several properties which include, several EGLE led sites, and several EPA-led Superfund sites that have historically conducted industrial and plating activities. Since 1983, the EPA has removed waste, contaminated soil, associated sludges, contaminated sewer lines, and part of a building from the Northernaire site. In 1985, remedial investigation found hexavalent chromium in groundwater. A pump and treat system was put in place to treat the contaminated groundwater and later discontinued when long-term remedial action goals were met to address the hexavalent chromium.

Because plating operations often use PFAS in their manufacturing processes, in 2021 and 2022, EGLE sampled groundwater at the Northernaire Superfund site for PFAS. The highest results of these sampling events were 7.24 ppt PFOA, and 11 ppt PFBS, which did not exceed Michigan’s groundwater criteria at the time of sampling.

In August of 2024, EGLE was made aware of a citizen who sampled their own private residential well in the industrial area and results exceeded drinking water criteria. In late September 2024, that home was connected to municipal water. There are two other homes within the industrial area that the city will sample and will be offered to connect to municipal water.

Groundwater flow direction is expected to be to the northwest in all aquifers, away from the nearby Lake Cadillac and Clam River.

Content posted October 2024.

Map

See an aerial view of the location of the site.

Expand the map

Drinking water information

Due to learning about a residential well that had PFAS above drinking water criteria in the industrial area, EGLE worked with EPA, DHHS, and local health to develop a residential well sampling plan. In October 2024, EGLE’s contractor, AECOM, will be sending letters to residents who live to the north of the industrial area (North Park and Pine View Subdivisions), and the closest homes to the west and south of the industrial area as shown on the map below (the purple boundaries), seeking permission to sample their private drinking water wells. These homes will make up the initial residential well sampling area.

Anticipated activities

EGLE, DHHS, and local health will review sample results and determine if any additional sampling is warranted further out from the first set of homes.

A town hall is being planned early November 2024.

The city is working on a sampling plan and quality assurance project plan to conduct PFAS sampling of groundwater monitoring wells in the industrial area. That sampling is likely to occur in the spring of 2025.