Kalamazoo residents will get a chance to weigh in on a compromise plan for an old landfill that’s full of toxic material. The Allied Site once served as a dumping ground for the paper mill industry.
There’s 1.5 million cubic yards of wood pulp and waste laced with toxic chemicals at the site. Kalamazoo officials want it gone. But that’s too expensive.
A compromise plan unveiled in December would consolidate and cap the waste, and allow for some redevelopment.
- Consolidate and cap the PCB-contaminated soil in a larger hill
- Turn 15-20 acres into area for potential redevelopment
- Create fund to monitor site, groundwater quality into the future
- Tear down fencing in some areas of neighborhood nearby, creating new recreation areas
- Costing roughly $57-$67 million, this option is more feasible given the money available and the priority the project takes compared to other Superfund sites across the country.
A public meeting about the proposal is scheduled for Thursday at 6p.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic Church Gymnasium.
