Site Location
The Carl's Tire Retreading Site is located at 5175 Sawyer Woods Drive, north of Vance Road and west of Sawyer Road, within the City of Grawn, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, 49637. Grand Traverse County is located in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The Site consists of approximately four acres of rectangular-shaped land that was formerly utilized as a tire storage area by the bankrupt Carl's Tire Retreading Company.
Site Background
The Carl's Tire Retreading Site was used in the 1980s and 1990s as a tire disposal and transfer facility. In December of 1995, U.S. EPA responded under CERCLA emergency response authority to a fire at the Site that burned for over 20 days. In an effort to extinguish the fire, the local fire department buried the burning tires at the Site. As a byproduct of the burning tires, pyrolytic waste oil with high levels of CERCLA hazardous substances collected underground near the southwestern portion of the property.
During the Fall of 2002 the DEQ conducted a removal of 86,000 tons of contaminated soil, ash, and tires. On January 27, 2003, MDEQ requested U.S. EPA assistance with the removal. The open excavation at the Site measures approximately 300 feet by 163 feet by 25 feet. An estimated 4,000y3 of oil saturated soil and 20,000 gallons of oil remain in the excavation.
During the Summer of 2003 U.S. EPA compled a time-critical removal action. 10,500 tons of contaminated soil, 4,500 gallons of oil, and 23,000 gallons of wastewater were removed for off-site disposal, 467,000 gallons of contaminated water were treated. U.S. EPA transferred the site back to DEQ.
