Pollution Cleanup at Visteon Plant Could Cost $150 Million, Expert Says

An environmental company which has collected hundreds of soil and water samples on the former Ford/Visteon plant on Mound at 23 Mile Road found that a carcinogenic degreasing chemical is spreading east across the site in groundwater.

And the cleanup could be long and costly.

Dr. James Dragun shared findings from a series of tests of the soil and groundwater on the property of the former industrial complex in Shelby Township during a meeting Wednesday in the township hall. 

"We want this site cleaned up and we want it cleaned up now," said Rick Stathakis, township supervisor. 

Dragun collected 45,000 pages of reports, including data from 837 soil borings and 665 ground water monitoring wells. Samples taken from these sites, and along with other tests, were compiled into an 8,064-page report.

The report is available on the township website, and is available in 12, 5-inch binders at the supervisor's office in the township hall. (You also can read the township's blog post about the topic on Patch.)

The proposed cleanup could take one year and cost $150 million. 

Similar to "footprints in the sand"

Dragun compared his work to following footprints in the sand. While investigators may not have been on scene when the contamination occurred—or seen the footprints made in the sand in his analogy—Dragun tried to determine how the contamination occurred.

The site originally was owned by the Packard Motor Co. before Ford took ownership and utilizing the site. During the 1950s and 1960s, Ford used a degreasing chemical known as trichloroethylene (TCE) which has been found to be a carcinogen.

According to Dragun, the chemical was first discovered in 2006 and confirmed in following tests.

Ford later sold the former Visteon plant to Indiana Metals, which started demolition in 2011, but the automotive company is responsible for environmental cleanup, township officials stated.

Once Dragun began his investigation of the full site in August 2012, he found that machinery that used the degreaser was located on the northwestern area of the plant. 

Over time, the chemicals seeped into the ground then eventually into the groundwater and began to migrate eastward, according to tests.

"We believe the chemicals did originate from the Ford plant,” Dragun said.

The long plume of contaminated ground water, about a half-mile long, was discovered. It stretches to the baseball diamonds, which are irrigated through a retention pond and does not endanger children playing on the fields, according to officials.

The contamination is moving about 40 feet a year. 

"This is not a small problem," Dragun said.

Additionally, the range of chemical contamination ranged from 6 to 17 parts per billion in the contaminated areas.

Ford response

Representatives from Ford Motor Company were not present at the community meeting, but the auto company did issue a statement to the Macomb Daily which stated:

“Ford is continuing to conduct an extensive investigation on the property, and are working with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to determine what actions, if any, need to be taken. We have kept local residents apprised of our activities, and will continue to do so as the process develops. We take this issue seriously and remain committed to doing what is right for the community and the environment.”

Shelby Township attorney Rob Huth said there is "no reason to panic" and that the township is in ongoing court proceedings with Ford.

Proposed remediation

In the report prepared by Dragun, he recommends removal of contaminated soil and "reduce the contamination in groundwater and soil below the water table" through treatment of the of the groundwater to prevent further migration of the chemicals.  

"We have a resolution. We are waiting to see what their (Ford) resolution is," said Huth, who added the township wants to see a speedy cleanup.