WYANDOTTE, Mich. \u2013 What\u2019s being described as a \u201ccomprehensive plan\u201d to address groundwater contamination at BASF\u2019s site along the Detroit River in Wyandotte has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency announced Monday.<\/p>\n
The multinational chemical producer\u2019s North Works site occupies around 230 acres along the river and is currently being used to manufacture chemicals and other products.<\/p>\n
Prior investigations by the EPA and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have identified several contaminants in the groundwater surrounding the site<\/a>, which has been used for industrial operations since the 1800s. <\/p>\n Contaminants identified at the site over the years include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and PFAS \u2014 otherwise known as \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest remediation plan approved by the EPA includes a \u201cmulti-component system to prevent contaminated groundwater flow,\u201d with construction expected to begin in early 2027.<\/p>\n More specifically, the project will entail the construction of perimeter barriers to limit groundwater movement across the site boundary and into the river; a groundwater collection and extraction system to capture contaminated groundwater; and an on-site water treatment facility.<\/p>\n Local residents and community organizations like Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, For Love of Water, and Detroit Riverkeeper have criticized the company\u2019s long-standing pollution for decades, as well as the state\u2019s failure to prevent continued contamination at the site \u2014 which borders the Downriver area below Ecorse Creek and sits immediately upstream from Wyandotte\u2019s drinking water intake.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really concerned that people don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening right in their backyard,\u201d Raquel Garcia, executive director of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, told Local 4 in 2024<\/a>. \u201cWe see little kids fishing, we see them swimming, we see people enjoying the river and on jet skis, and I think people have a right to know the chemicals that are in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement sent to Local 4 on Tuesday afternoon, BASF officials called the EPA\u2019s latest\u2019s approval \u201can important milestone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis approval enables advancement of long-term solutions to address groundwater impacts from historical\u00a0industrial operations, including those of prior owners at the Wyandotte North Works site,\u201d the statement read. \u201c…BASF\u00a0remains\u00a0committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Consent Decree and implementing measures designed to protect human health, safety, and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest remediation plan will be rolled out in phases, with the project expected to be completed in 2029.<\/p>\n