Congressman Sandy Levin : Rep. Levin Works to Advance PCB Cleanup in St. Clair Shores
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Rep. Levin Works to Advance PCB Cleanup in St. Clair Shores
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Rep. Levin Works to Advance PCB Cleanup in St. Clair Shores


High levels of PCBs were detected in the storm drain and canal system of St. Clair Shores in 2002. My office has spearheaded the effort to engage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund a time-critical cleanup so that these toxic chemicals do not escape into the environment. In response to congressional pressure, EPA performed a $7 million cleanup of the Ten Mile Drain and adjacent canals in 2003. An EPA-led investigation into the original source of the PCBs was inconclusive, although testing showed that the PCBs first appeared in the canal more than 20 years ago.

When routine sediment testing revealed that high levels of PCBs were again present in the storm drain in late 2004, Rep. Levin contracted EPA as well as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to urge additional action. EPA and MDEQ agreed to fund an environmental study of the contamination. Weston Solution, Inc., performed the study, which also contained a number of detailed cleanup options. The report was released in October, 2005.

Following the release of the Weston study, Rep. Levin joined Senators Levin and Stabenow in writing to the Administrator of EPA Region 5, Tom Skinner, to urge EPA to take immediate action to clean up the additional PCB contamination in St. Clair Shores.

In December of 2005, Administrator Skinner informed Rep. Levin and the other lawmakers that EPA planned to re-clean and install a waterproof liner in the most seriously contaminated sections of the Ten Mile Drain and perform other remediation work. On February 1, EPA Region 5 gave formal approval to spend $1.2 million on this phase of the cleanup.

Learn more here...