United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Thorneapple Valley Site is located at 2902 Orleans Street in Detroit, Michigan. The facility is a former meatpacking plant adjacent to the Dequindre Cut, a former railroad line owned by Adrian and Blissfield Railroad (AB-RR).  The facility is surrounded by active meatpacking plants, commercial facilities, and residential homes.  

A PCB spill from the Site has migrated 1/4 mile from the Site along the Dequindre Cut through an area occupied by homeless people toward a rails-to-trails redevelopment.   The Dequindre Cut leads to the Detroit River. MDEQ data show that the PCB level in the soil is 6.9 ppm and 125 ppm at the source.  

An emergency response was initiated after a joint MDEQ-EPA site visit observed oil flowing down the Dequindre Cut, rail workers driving through the area, and a homeless man living 10 feet from the spill. U.S. EPA requested assistance from City of Detroit Fire and Environmental Affairs in responding.

Between August 8 and 11, U.S. EPA initiated a fund-lead emergency response.  On August 11, U.S. EPA transitioned the response to the PRP, Fodale LLC.  See Initial/Final Fund lead POLREP for more details.

http://epaosc.net/polrep_profile.asp?site_id=4306

Between August 11 and 19, the PRP abated asbestos in the boiler room to enable access to the leaking tank, pumped 12,000 gallons from the tank into an onsite frac tank, and loaded heavily contaminated soils into 5 roll off boxes.

1- Dispose of oil in frac tank,
1- Dispose of excavated soil,
3- Assess spill area,
4- Maintain barrier and/or security.

Once analytical results are received, the PRP will arrange for transportation and disposal of the oil and heavily contaminated soils.

The PRP is preparing a sample plan to assess the spill area.