Paw Paw Plating started primarily as a custom electroplating operation in the 1950’s and stopped operations in December 2009. The site is about 1.8 acres, is not fenced and contains an abandoned building with chemicals and other hazardous materials. The site is located at 139 Commercial Ave., Paw Paw, Michigan. Cadmium, chromium, silver, gold, nickel, copper and cyanide were used in the electroplating process. The company also performed metal processing such as machining, polishing and painting which included the use of Trichlorethylene (TCE).
There are a variety of abandoned hazardous materials in the building including plating baths containing heavy metals, drums of plating feed stocks, drums of hazardous waste, and a number of different size containers with a wide variety of chemical compounds. Plating solutions include but are not limited to cyanide and chromium. The presence of containers, drums and vats without a secondary containment could result in contaminating soil and ground water.
Past investigation activities by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment indicated that contaminants were released into the storm sewer that discharges directly in to the Paw Paw River and also were discovered in a municipal water well that served the village of Paw Paw . Halogenated volatile organic compound (HVOCs) contamination , including TCE was identified in ground water.
