2006 Demonstration Project
Rose Township Dump:
Rose Township, Michigan
THE SITE: The 110-acre Rose Township Dump site was used for the
unauthorized disposal of paint sludges and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) from 1966 until 1968, and intermittently in 1970. During this
time, drummed wastes were transported from Detroit area industries
and disposed at the site. In 1979 and 1980, the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) removed 5,000 55-gallon drums
of wastes from the site. In 1985 and 1986, EPA fenced portions of the
site and removed an additional 31 drums of wastes plus about 20 cubic
yards of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). EPA
selected a remedy in 1987, and reached a cleanup agreement with 12
Detroit area companies in 1989. Cleanup activities included treating PCB-
bearing surface soils with a mobile incinerator at the site, constructing and
operating an interim ground water pump and treat system to contain the
ground water contaminant plume during incineration, and installing a soil
vapor extraction unit. Cleanup activities concluded in February 1996.
THE OPPORTUNITY: Daimler Chrysler, one of the primary responsible
parties at the site, is participating in a new agreement between Biodiesel
Industries Inc. and NextEnergy, a non-profit organization that seeks
to advance Michigan's alternative energy technology industry. The
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement will address the
development and technological innovation of biodiesel fuels. Daimler
Chrysler is a national leader among automobile manufacturers in using and
promoting renewable biodiesel fuel sources. The company has committed
to finding and developing sites for growing crops for biodiesel research
and production. In 2005, Daimler Chrysler approached EPA about using
a portion of the 80-acre Rose Township Dump site to grow genetically
engineered soybeans for biodiesel production.
THE BARRIERS: Daimler Chrysler had to negotiate an agreement with
the site owner, the State of Michigan, in order to use the property for
soybean farming. Any reuse option must not impair the site's remedy.
THE SOLUTION: EPA facilitated discussions among various
stakeholders to assess reuse options that ensured the site's remedy would
remain protective of human health and the environment.
THE SITE NOW: Once the regulatory agencies determined the steps
Barriers: Uncertainty about
whether the proposed future use
option would be available under
the remedy
Solution: Maintaining an
active ongoing dialogue with
the stakeholders and assessing
appropriate reuse options
Before: Underutilized 110-acre
former PCB site in a rural area
After: Agricultural use for an
environmentally friendly purpose
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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necessary to ensure that the remedy would be protective for future agricultural use, stakeholders began planning
for future soybean production at the site. In 2006, through a partnership with Daimler Chrysler, the State of
Michigan, EPA and NextEnergy, a Michigan State University researcher began an investigation into the potential
for certain crops grown at the site to be refined into renewable fuels. Since then, three seasons of crops have been
planted and harvested at the site. The fuels have been tested at the National Biofuels Energy Laboratory, located at
NextEnergy's headquarters in Detroit. So far, results indicate that the biomass produced is of comparable quantity
and quality to biomass generated from crops grown on conventional farmland. "This site may seem like a drop in
the bucket, but we're looking at the possibility of taking land that isn't productive and using it to both learn and
produce," said lead researcher Professor Kurt Thelen. "The research we're conducting in Rose Township could
have major implications for both rural and urban brownfield sites nationwide."
The other stakeholders involved in the partnership also maintain a positive outlook. As Deb Morrissett, Vice
President of Regulatory Affairs at the Chrysler Group states, "bio-fuels represent a huge opportunity to reduce
our nation's consumption of petroleum. The Rose Township Project could give us a homegrown solution to
our energy, environmental and economic challenges, and a chance to return these contaminated lands to use."l
NextEnergy CEO Jim Croce believes that "the research will further position Michigan as a leader in the national
effort to reduce our dependence on oil and reduce the impact of transportation on our environment." The third
five-year review report for the site was signed on June 21,2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Tom Bloom, Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at
(312) 886-1967 or bloom.thomas@epa.gov.
1. "DaimlerChrysler, Michigan State Researchers Turn Brownfield Site into Biofuels Research Lab." Biofuels Journal October 19,
2006, http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/DaimlerChrysler Michigan_State_Researchers_Turn_Brownfield_Site_into_Biofuels_
Research Lab 10 19 2006-38342.html.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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