All News Releases By Date

EPA will postpone work near Norris School until after the school year

Release Date: 03/19/2008
Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA041

(Chicago, Ill. - March 19, 2008) In response to concerns expressed by parents of students at the Norris Elementary School, Greilickville, Mich., EPA will postpone a planned cleanup near the school until after the school year ends.

At a March 18 meeting at the school, parents asked EPA to postpone excavating contaminated soil from an adjoining Superfund site. The planned cleanup is associated with contamination from a former dry cleaning facility, Grand Traverse Overall Supply, 10753 E. Cherry Bend Road.

"Although EPA does not believe the planned cleanup poses a risk to the school children or others, we are sensitive to parental concerns. EPA will adjust the schedule to complete the work when the children are out of school," said Ralph Dollhopf, Associate Director of EPA's regional Superfund Division. "Delaying the excavation for several weeks will not harm the public or result in appreciable damage to the environment."

The old dry cleaner was demolished in December 2007 during the school's Christmas break. Soil under the former building is contaminated with dry cleaning chemicals such as tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, and trichloroethylene, also known as TCE.

Long term, EPA will continue to use its vapor extraction system and plans to pump and treat contaminated ground water under the site.

For more information on Grand Traverse Overall Supply, visit http://epa.gov/region5/sites/grandtraverse/