Superfund Site posted 3 years ago
Anything related to the Kalamazoo River superfund site plans and PCB cleanup.
From the City of Allegan website: "On Monday, January 13, 2020 the Allegan City Council adopted Resolution 20.03 which supported the removal of the Allegan City Dam, as long as the cost to remove the dam was not a financial burden on the community and that the community could come to a consensus on the final design of the Riverfront with the dam removed." http://www.cityofallegan.org/news_detail_T12_R31.php No longer exists commented 3 years ago As far as I understand, once they get the cleanup to the Dam on Lake Allegan (not to be confused with the Allegan City Dam), they will have to look at ways to clean it up without removal as the dam on Lake Allegan is still functional. This will not take place for a few more years at least. Adam Lynema commented 3 years ago Lake Allegan Members- the public comment period for the 245 million dollar settlement for the Kalamazoo River clean up has been extended through Mid - Feb. 2020. This/below is my submitted comment. I believe anyone that consumed fish from Lake Allegan and became ill with PCB effects should be financially assisted by the superfund monies. Until Aug. 2018, the posted signs told citizens it was safe to eat the fish. Michigan's "Eat Safe Fish" website told just the opposite information. It took Valley Supervisor Ron Remington and I about half a year to have this addressed. Citizens still have about a week to send in a suggestion to the DOJ if they wish. Assistant Attorney General, Environment Natural Resources Division, referring to: United States of America and the State of Michigan v. NCR Corporation, D.J. Ref. No. 90-11-2-07912/11 In the Federal Register / Vol.85, No. 3 (Jan. 6, 2020 notices) it instructs the public that there has been an extension for public comments for the settlement of the case referenced above. The following is my comment. In the Kalamazoo River basin there were approximately fifty signs installed (at the most visible places) that were part of the superfund program. That superfund sign information was printed on the bottom of the signs. The signs are estimated to be in excess of thirty years old containing information known at that time. The signs indicated that in various river areas that most fish species (except carp/northern pike/ bass) were safe to eat by anyone, at any time, and in any quantity as a result of low PCB levels in the fish. This information, for many years, is/was decades outdated and actually resulted in citizens consuming fish that were determined to be toxic with PCB contamination. For months in 2018, Valley township citizens and Valley township government expressed safety concerns about this inaccurate signage to many groups (examples- MDNR, MDEQ/now EGLE, GLRI, Michigan Steelheaders, Gun Lake Tribe, Kalamazoo River Watershed Counsel, USFWS, EPA, Federal and State Legislators, etc.). Many reasons were given why the incorrect signage could not be removed and/ or replaced promptly. Current information available states that even one meal of the PCB toxic fish can create health problems (even death) for a lifetime. One or many groups did not provide proper follow through on this concern. I believe part of the settlement should include funding for those citizens that feel they may have PCB negative health effects from consuming toxic fish (in this superfund site) when superfund signing indicated it was safe to consume fish in the superfund site. The funding should provide for testing and treatment. I cannot recommend a funding level. I also feel Valley Township government and Township citizens should be recognized for moving this safety issue forward to a result of the August 2018 replacement of the incorrect signage. Ken Yonker Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago Members, anyone wanting to see improvements can submit ideas by March 18.....a new boat dock etc, could be done rather easily with this kind of money....please read below.... Feb. 18, 2020 Contact: Jay Wesley (Michigan DNR), 269-204-7057 Kalamazoo River restoration ideas for first-round funding must be submitted by March 18 At the end of 2019, a group of state and federal natural resource trustees announced it was accepting Kalamazoo River watershed restoration project ideas that could be funded through a proposed $25 million agreement with NCR Corporation to partially settle natural resource damage claims stemming from past discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the southwest Michigan river. The Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council for this site (the “Kalamazoo River Trustees”) welcomes project ideas submitted through its restoration portal. Ideas submitted by March 18 will be evaluated by the Kalamazoo River Trustees this spring. Project ideas submitted after March 18 will be evaluated in future rounds. The Trustees will select project ideas for additional development and eventual funding based on 1) submitted ideas and 2) the restoration criteria described in the 2016 Final Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, available on the Kalamazoo River website. The Trustees will fund projects with existing funds from past claims for losses of natural resources and, if approved by the court, with funds from the settlement agreement with NCR Corporation, currently lodged with a federal district court. If approved, the NCR settlement will provide $27 million to resolve NCR’s liability, of which $25 million would go toward restoration and $2 million to reimburse a portion of the Trustees’ previously accrued assessment costs. The $25 million restoration funding would be paid over seven years. The Kalamazoo River Trustees include: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Michigan Department of Attorney General. U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Department of Commerce, represented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information about the Natural Resource Damage Assessment at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, visit the Kalamazoo River website. Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago I am a member of the Board that was organized by the city of Allegan to work on ideas, regulations and work with the EPA and DNR. We had our first meeting 3 weeks ago and elected officers to serve on the Board. We had scheduled a second meeting for Wednesday, April 15th at City Hall. Unfortunately the meeting had to canceled for obvious reasons. We'll have to wait to see when we can schedule another meeting. I will try to post the date as soon as I know. It will be important for you to attend the meeting(s) so you hear first hand what is going on. I live on Lake Allegan, so I'm concerned about the Lake also. I'm rather sure the meetings will be held at 5:00PM. Tony Garofalo commented 3 years ago The City of Allegan put in a request for some money from the Kalamazoo River super fund settlement to keep the City dam removal idea moving forward. Possibly by the next meeting those funds may be approved. There are about ten other projects on or around Lake Allegan submitted for funding consideration. I will let all know if any or all of the ideas are approved for funding. As to the next meeting, if you believe it wise for other Lake Allegan persons to be present, just let me know. I would make plans to attend. Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago Informative article about the PcB cleanup at the Trowbridge dam. https://www.kalamazoorivercag.org/post/planning-continues-for-pcb-cleanup-near-trowbridge-dam?postId=6081ef5a37a26f0057523fac Mike Roth commented 2 years ago Kalamazoo River restoration projects to use $27M in PCB settlements https://www.kalamazoorivercag.org/post/kalamazoo-river-restoration-projects-to-use-27m-in-pcb-settlements?postId=6086eb3e397f5300329b7695 Mike Roth commented 2 years ago