EPA Targets Michigan Dioxane Plume After Years of Concern

Ann Arbor, MI (WOWO) A decades-old groundwater contamination problem beneath Ann Arbor will now receive federal oversight and funding after being placed on the nation’s highest-priority environmental cleanup list.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added the Gelman dioxane plume to the federal Superfund National Priorities List, opening the door for long-term planning and federal resources aimed at containing and removing the pollution.

The underground plume contains the industrial solvent 1,4-dioxane and originated decades ago from wastewater disposal by Gelman Sciences at a facility in Scio Township west of Ann Arbor, according to Michigan Public. Over time, the chemical moved slowly through groundwater and spread across an area estimated at roughly three square miles.

City water officials have been tracking the contamination for years because of concern it could eventually migrate toward Ann Arbor’s municipal drinking water system. Testing previously detected low levels of the chemical in groundwater used by the city’s Montgomery Well, which was taken offline in 2001, according to Michigan Public.

More than 120 residential drinking water wells in the area were found to be contaminated and have since been sealed, with affected households connected to the city’s municipal water supply.

The Superfund designation allows federal agencies to coordinate with state and local partners on investigation and cleanup while making federal funding available for long-term remediation work. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy had asked federal regulators to place the site on the list in 2021.

Researchers continue studying the health effects of 1,4-dioxane exposure. Animal studies have linked the chemical to liver and kidney damage, though scientists say more work is needed to understand its full impact on people, according to Michigan Public.

Despite a court order issued in 1992 requiring cleanup efforts, the plume has persisted underground for decades. Federal officials say the new designation is intended to accelerate planning and ensure long-term protection for drinking water supplies in the region.

The post EPA Targets Michigan Dioxane Plume After Years of Concern appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM.