Muskegon Chemical Co. Explained

The Muskegon Chemical Company is a 19.6 acre Superfund site located in Muskegon County, Michigan.[1]

History

The Muskegon Chemical Co. was founded in 1957, and ran until 1993.[2] The site was founded by John R. Yost Jr. who was also the vice president and chief operating officer at the Ott/Story/Cordova Chemical Company. He founded Muskegon Chemical Company in the Whitehall Industrial Park to manufacture chemicals primarily for the pharmaceutical industry.[3]

Impacts and cause

The site was contaminated with dichloroethane, bis-(2-chlorophyll)ether, and triglycol dichloride.[4] It was determined that there was a leak in the drainage system inside the facility that contaminated the soil and groundwater around the site.[5]

Cleanup

The remediation process involves several steps to address groundwater contamination. Groundwater is extracted to prevent the contaminated plume from reaching Mill Pond Creek. Carbon adsorption is employed to remove organic contaminants. The treated water is safely discharged into the Whitehall Area Publicly Owned Treatment Works. Regular monitoring of surface water, groundwater, soil, and air evaluates the system’s effectiveness.[6]

Current day

The Muskegon Chemical Co. currently has "Hazardous Ranking" score of 34.19[7] And the status of the site is “Completed” which means that All the facilities necessary for cleanup have been built.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: gellison@mlive.com . Garret Ellison . 2016-05-11 . Hazardous ground: Look through all 65 Michigan Superfund sites . 2024-02-29 . mlive . en.
  2. Web site: August 2020 . Muskegon Chemical Company (Whitehall, Muskegon County) . Michigan.gov.
  3. Web site: mhart2@mlive.com . Megan Hart . 2011-04-06 . Muskegon Chemical Company founder John Yost dies at 87 . 2024-02-29 . mlive . en.
  4. Web site: ToxicSites . 2024-03-01 . www.toxicsites.us . en.
  5. Web site: MUSKEGON CHEMICAL CO. Site Profile . 2024-03-01 . cumulis.epa.gov . en.
  6. Web site: Ballotti . Douglas . 2023 . April 20, 2023 . SIXTH FIVE-YEAR REVIEW REPORT FOR MUSKEGON CHEMICAL CO. SUPERFUND SITE MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN . EPA.gov.
  7. Web site: US EPA . OLEM . 2015-09-04 . Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live . 2024-03-01 . www.epa.gov . en.
  8. Web site: How Close Are You to a Superfund Site? . 2024-03-01 . www.nationalgeographic.com.