The Site consists of a 25-acre industrial parcel bordered by 15 Mile Road and agricultural and residential properties to the west, vacant land to the north and east, and agricultural to the south.  The Site is the former location of Midwest Metallurgical Laboratory, a foundry for the Detroit Stoker Company. The Site includes one main building, an office area and two smaller out buildings.

The Site is located at 15290 15 Mile Road in Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan 49068 in a mixed residential/industrial/agricultural area.  Coordinates for the Site are 42.294437 degrees north and -85.0037194 degrees west.

The Midwest Metallurgical Laboratory (MML) was founded in 1942. The casting/foundry building was constructed in 1960. The Site is a former ductile iron casting facility that provided complete foundry services, including Ni-Hard and Grey Iron castings from 1 to 900 pounds. In March 2002, the announcement was made that the MML facility was to be phased down and closed later that year as part of a plan to outsource production to lower cost producers. At the time of its closing, the MML facility employed approximately 65 workers.  Since the closing of the MML facility, Charleston Auctions has held several public auctions in an attempt to sell Site equipment and property.

U.S. EPA conducted an assessment at the Site on October 5 and 6, 2009.  Most buildings at the Site were found to contain uncontrolled hazardous wastes (containers labeled flammable, corrosive, and oxidizer).  Numerous drums, totes, and small containers of various sizes were found opened and unlabeled both inside the buildings and around the grounds.  U.S. EPA quantified more than 2,500 gallons of uncontrolled and unidentified liquid wastes on the property.  Five waste liquid samples were collected yielding pH results that are characteristically hazardous or TCLP levels that are characteristically toxic.

U.S. EPA documented unrestricted Site access in many areas and visual evidence of trespassing throughout the buildings and grounds.  Numerous locks have been cut and fencing has been taken down by trespassers, vandals, and thieves in efforts to gain access to the buildings and property.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

On Tuesday, 6/01/10 the following response actions were undertaken at the site by the ERRS contractors:

• ERRS continued cutting up small plastic containers and crushing drums and totes in preparation for disposal utilizing Level C PPE. 
• ERRS removed the remainder of the foundry sand from Building 1 and placed it in a 10 cubic yard roll-off box for disposal and filled another 10 cubic yard roll-off with refractory solids (boron oxide) material from Building 1. 
• ERRS shipped offsite two 10 cubic yard roll-offs full of foundry sand from Building 1 for disposal. 
• EPA/START provided breathing zone air monitoring support during work actvities using a MulitRae PID to montior for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower explosive limit, and percent oxygen and for particulates using a personal data RAM (PDR) unit. 

On Wednesday, 6/02/10 the following response actions were undertaken at the site by the ERRS contractors:

• ERRS conducted drum, transformer, and tote pump out of all non-hazardous waste oil/water liquid for disposal offsite utilizing a vac. truck from EQ Services in Detroit, Michigan utilizing Level C PPE.  A total of 32 drums, 2 totes, and 3 transformers were vacuumed out during this activity. 
• Procured a well repair technician for the sampling of the onsite residential well. 
• Crushed non-hazardous drums and containers and placed in a 30 cubic yard roll-off for disposal. 
• EPA/START provided breathing zone air monitoring support during work activities using a MulitRae PID to monitor for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower explosive limit, and percent oxygen and for particulates using a personal data RAM (PDR) unit. 

On Thursday, 6/03/10 the following response actions were undertaken at the site by the ERRS contractors:

• ERRS excavated another 3 bags of foundry sand from the hillside area on the east side of the site and placed the material in a 10 cubic yard roll-off for disposal. 
• ERRS shipped offsite two 10 cubic yard roll-off boxes with one containing refractory materials from Building 1 and the other containing soil and bagged foundry sand material from the hillside along the east side of the site. 
• ERRS over packed 4 drums of hazardous waste (2 drums of caustic liquids, and 2 drums of flammable liquids) in preparation for waste disposal.  ERRS personnel were in Level C PPE during this activity.
• START collected two surface soil confirmation samples for RCRA 8 Metals from the foundry sand bag area on the hillside along the east side of the site. 
• START collected one drinking water sample from the onsite residential water well for RCRA 8 Metals. 
• U.S. EPA and ERRS conducted site walk-through to confirm work was completed according to the work plan for the site. 

 On Friday, 6/04/10 the following response actions were undertaken at the site by the ERRS contractors:

• ERRS started demobilization activities including disconnecting site power, collecting all equipment used during the removal, and securing the site. 

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

MML filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana on July 12, 2006, Case No. 16857-02.  The case was converted to Chapter 7 on June 2, 2008.

Taxes for the 2004-2009 remain unpaid, and there are tax liens on the real property for tax years 2004-2008 totaling over $164,000.  IN addition on 2/2/2005, creditor Detroit Stoker Company recorded a judgment lien on the property in the amount of $354,000.  the Trustee put the property up for sale but offers were insufficient to satisfy the pending liens.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics
 

• Demobilize site trailers from the site. 

• Demobilize site trailers from the site
• Dispose of hazardous waste containers from the site and hand over site keys to the county.