Between 1966 and 1986 a manufacturing plant owned by Gelman Sciences used a chemical called 1,4 Dioxane. Today, ground water is contaminated by that chemical. While there have been previous court agreements on cleanup, a fourth amendment has been proposed to require stricter cleanup levels, and more monitoring wells to track the underground plume of Dioxane.
“Another key provision of the proposed agreement is a significant increase in remediation activity, approximately doubling what's called pump and treat extraction from the area,” said Scott Dean, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
He says if that doesn’t work and private wells are contaminated, there are "contingencies in place to extend municipal water where necessary if the plume does move in excess of this new criteria.”
The agency will hold an online meeting for public comments on September 14th.
The City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, the county’s Health Department, Scio Township, and the Huron River Watershed Council will have a vote on the proposal. Those governments have established a repository of the proposed settlement documents here.
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