The Thorneapple Valley Site is located at 2900 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 had migrated a 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 showed that the PCB level in the soil was 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 January 23 and July 14, 2009, the PRP, Fodale LLC, excavated the 1/4 mile of contaminated soil. Confirmation sample results showed PCB levels in the soil to be below 1 ppm, which was the cleanup requirement.
The PRP also drained the oil from the tank inside the building and backfilled the contaminated area.
While having completed the field work, Fodale LLC has failed to remove a frac tank of PCB oil.
The OSC does not believe the PCB oil will be properly addressed unless disposed of by U.S. EPA. On July 30, 2009, the PRP having failed to meet several deadlines, U.S. EPA assumed control of disposing of the PCB oil.
Fodale LLC has repeatedly missed deadlines and failed to respond to emails, phone calls, and letters. On June 8 and again on July 2, 2009, U.S. EPA issued noncompliance letters to Fodale LLC for failure to comply with the December 23, 2008 unilateral administrative order.
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