In the early 1900s, Calumet Gas and Coke constructed a facility at the site to provide gas for residential, commercial, and municipal use. Calumet Gas and Coke changed its name over the years, becoming Peninsular Gas Company (PGC) in 1946. PGC then converted the site from a manufactured gas plant to a propane gas distribution facility.
Before the conversion of the facility, waste from the municipal gas facility was discharged into a drainage ditch south of the site and conveyed southwest through residential areas and wetlands into nearby Hammel Creek.
Investigations conducted by EPA, EGLE, and PGC from 1992 to 2001 identified coal tar waste on the site, in the drainage ditch system and in the wetlands connecting to Hammel Creek. EGLE and PGC conducted a series of cleanups culminating in the removal of 8,208 tons of grossly contaminated soil and sediment from those offsite locations. In 2008, EPA completed the construction of a vinyl sheet pile barrier along the south and west perimeters of the site to prevent the migration of hazardous substances from the property. At the time, the onsite coal tar source was inaccessible due to the ongoing distribution of natural gas and its associated infrastructure.
As the request of the State of Michigan, EPA is initiating a cleanup to remove the coal tar waste.
