Return to Use Initiative 2006 Demonstration Project Clare Water Supply: Clare, MI


Return to Use Initiative
2006 Demonstration Project
Clare Water Supply: ciare,mi
THE SITE: The Clare Water Supply site covers significant portions of
downtown Clare, and includes the city's municipal wellfield. In 1981,
the Clare municipal wells were sampled by the Michigan Department
of Public Health, revealing volatile organic compound contamination
in two wells. In 1982, soil samples from the industrial area west of the
municipal wellfield were also found to be contaminated. Cleanup
activities at the site began in 1991 and included wellhead treatment
of municipal well water, encapsulation and treatment of contaminated
soils both on and off-site, active ground water restoration, and
implementation of institutional controls to restrict the use of the aquifer
until the ground water meets drinking water standards. A containment
cell for in-situ encapsulation of contaminated soils was established
on the Ex-Cell-0 property, a 2.86-acre parcel located within the site's
northern boundaries along U.S. Highway 10. Remedy construction
was completed in 1999. Ground water monitoring continues to ensure
that contaminated ground water migration is under control. The
containment cell and an adjacent uncontaminated area to the east of
the cell have been enclosed by a chain link fence to prevent access to
the encapsulated soils.
THE OPPORTUNITY: The site is in the downtown area of Clare, and the
Ex-Cell-0 property is well-situated along the commercial corridor of
U.S. Highway 10. The containment cell, approximately one acre in size,
is centrally located within the Ex-Cell-0 property and is surrounded by
two uncontaminated areas, a 0.75-acre area located west of the cell and
a 1.5-acre area located east of the cell. The City of Clare has expressed
interest in the redevelopment of the Ex-Cell-0 property for commercial
and recreational uses; these types of uses would be consistent with the
property's light industrial zoning.
THE BARRIER: The property is privately owned.The city may work with
the current owner to transfer the property to municipal ownership.The
city would then need to resolve liability issues in order to move forward
with the redevelopment.The main obstacles to the reuse of the Ex-Cell-
O property are the inclusion of the uncontaminated areas within the
site boundaries, the location of the monitoring wells, and the fencing
around the containment cell and the adjacent uncontaminated area
east of the cell.
THE SOLUTION: EPA provided services to the City of Clare to develop
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
Barriers:
Two uncontaminated areas are
unnecessarily stigmatized by
being included within the site
boundaries, impeding their reuse
and raising future liability con-
cerns
Solution:
Remove the uncontaminated
areas from the site definition; vari-
ous Superfund redevelopment
tools to lessen liability concerns

itol -
V Bjlgjia
Before:

Underutilized portion of a
Superfund site in a growing com-
mercial district

After:

Advantageous location for com-
mercial redevelopment

-------
strategies for eliminating the barriers to reuse. EPA has provided the community with in-kind service resources
to identify and discuss reuse barriers at the site.This effort could help the community develop strategies leading
to protective and available future uses. In addition, EPA hopes to coordinate with Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality to review bona fide prospective purchaser requirements and comfort letters, should
property ownership be transferred to the City of Clare.These tools can facilitate transfer of the property by
clarifying potential liability concerns. In the near future, EPA will develop the 2006 Five-Year Review report for
the site, using the reuse planning report as a source of information regarding likely future uses of the land. EPA
is also exploring opportunities to remove the uncontaminated parcels from within the site's boundary.
THE SITE NOW: The Ex-Cell-0 property is assessed at $36,000 and generates close to $900 in annual tax
revenues. Commercial or industrial development of the uncontaminated areas of the property is expected to
further increase the property value and generate additional tax revenues for the city.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Tom Bloom, Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator,
at 312.886.1967 or bloom.thomas@epa.gov; Jon Peterson, Remedial Project Manager, at 312.353.1264 or
peterson.ion@epa.aov.
Portions of the Clare Water Supply Superfund site remain underutilized after the cleanup. The site is located near
the downtown area of Clare, and the Ex-Cell-0 property of the site (shown here) is well-situated along the com-
mercial corridor of U.S. Highway 10 (to the right of the property).
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
2

-------