oEPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

Public information meeting

6 to 8 p.m. Wed., Sep. 29
Allegan Public Schools
Administration Office
Leadership Room
550 5th St.

More information on back page.

Contact EPA

For more information or comments
about the Kalamazoo River
project you may contact these EPA
representatives:

Dave Novak

Community Involvement
Coordinator (P-19J)

EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 886-7478 or (800) 621-8431,
weekdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
novak. dave@epa. gov

Shari Kolak

Remedial Project Manager (SR-6J)

EPA Region 5

77 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL 60604

(312) 886-6151 or (800) 621-8431,

weekdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

kolak.shari@epa.gov

More Information about Points
Raised at Community Meetings

Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site

Kalamazoo, Michigan	September 2004

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency held a public meeting in June
and a modeling workshop in August to discuss the Allied Paper/Portage
Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. During the question-and-answer
sessions, audiences raised some points EPA feels should be explained in
more detail.

The need for modeling

Several people asked why additional studies are needed when so many
studies and investigations have already been conducted by the paper
companies and Mchigan Department of Environmental Quality since
1990. EPA agrees that many studies have been done, and much of the
information from those studies will provide useful data for the modeling.

EPA decided that modeling was necessary because Agency experts
could not determine with enough accuracy the amount of contaminated
riverbank behind the Plainwell and Otsego city dams that needs to be
cleaned to reduce the amount PCB in fish.

Modeling will be carried out by QEA, an engineering firm with expertise
in modeling river sediments (mud). The company will take all available
data from the Kalamazoo River and put this information into a computer
program. In an effort to achieve consensus on the results of the model,
and to avoid debates and delays about what the models mean, EPA is
working closely with MDEQ, the potentially responsible parties and
the Natural Resource Trustees on the development of the model. Using
the specifics from the Kalamazoo site, the modeling program will make
projections of how long it will take under different cleanup scenarios,
with leaving the dams in or taking the dams out, for fish to be safe to
eat. Examples of cleanup scenarios include removing some or all river
sediment and riverbank, or capping all or some of the floodplain soil. EPA
will use the modeling information to decide what cleanup methods it will
recommend to the public in order to protect human health and wildlife.

Time frame for modeling

Modeling will be performed on two upstream stretches of the Kalamazoo
River first—starting at Morrow Dam and ending at the Otsego City dam.
QEA believes it will be able to complete the study for the two upstream
stretches of the river in about a year. Modeling may take longer if the
modelers identify data gaps that are critical in assuring the accuracy of
results. After the model is completed, EPA must conduct a peer review
which is estimated to take another year. Peer review is a documented


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critical review of a specific major scientific or technical
work product. Peer review is conducted by qualified
people or organizations which are independent of those
who performed the work but are equally qualified
in technical expertise. Peer review is conducted
to ensure that activities are technically adequate,
competently performed, properly documented and
satisfy established quality requirements. Modeling will
proceed downstream on each stretch of river ending at
Allegan (Caukins) dam. EPA will make cleanup
decisions on the two upstream stretches of river first,
and proceed downstream as modeling results become
available and after they are peer reviewed.

Mediated negotiations

EPA began negotiations for additional remedial
investigation/feasibility study work with the paper
companies in April 2004. (A remedial investigation
is an in-depth study of contamination and risks at a
Superfund site. The remedial investigation is usually
done with the feasibility study, an analysis and
comparison of the cleanup options under the criteria
provided by the Superfund regulations - including
protectiveness and cost.) EPA believed that the
assistance of a professional neutral mediator would
be very useful in negotiating the scope of such an
RI/FS agreement, and invited the paper companies
to participate in such negotiations. MDEQ and the
Natural Resource Trustees are also participating in the
negotiations. Natural Resource Trustees are government
agencies responsible for protection of natural resources
such as water and wildlife. These legal negotiations are
confidential and are not open to the public.

Two neutral mediators were hired to lead the
negotiations. These negotiators successfully co-mediated
the Housatonic River case in EPA Region 1. The parties
to the negotiations will evaluate whether and what
additional information is necessary to fully evaluate
dam removal as a possible cleanup option on the River.

Fish Advisories

Some people at recent public meetings expressed
concern about the public not being aware of the health
risks of consuming Kalamazoo River fish. Although
fish advisory signs have been posted along popular
fishing spots, some people continue to eat the fish.
EPA and MDEQ are aware of the problem. Because

of budget constraints, the Michigan Department
of Community Health is no longer distributing fish
advisory pamphlets to anglers and is relying on the
public to obtain this information by accessing its Web
site at http://www.michigan.gov/mdch. Once on the Web
site, use the search box in the upper right corner of
the page by typing in "fish advisories" (without the
quotation marks) and pressing go. Finally, click on the
link "Michigan Fish Advisory." EPA encourages the
public to contact the MDCH directly if you have further
concerns at (517) 373-3740 and press 3 or e-mail Jean
Chabut, chief administrative officer, Public Health
Administration, at chabutj@michigan.gov.

EPA's cleanup estimates

One audience member incorrectly commented that
EPA's $2 billion dollar cost estimate for cleaning up
the entire 80 mile River was too high. The audience
member went on to comment that the figure is a
projection of future costs and the real cost of cleanup
would run only in hundreds of millions of dollars if
EPA started immediately instead of waiting until more
studies are done.

The cost estimate EPA used was based on MDEQ's
2001 estimate for removing all PCB contamination over
a concentration of .33 parts per million. Inflation rates
have been moderate in the last few years. While sources
disagree about the inflation rate, most put it in the range
of 8.25 to 8.5 since the end of 2000. Using one source's
calculation of 8.35 inflation since December 2000, the
estimated cost of removal in 2004 money would be
$2.2 billion, an increase of about $200 million due to
inflation alone.

Public involvement

EPA is working hard to keep the Kalamazoo River
community informed about its activities and to allow
as much public involvement as possible. Region 5 has
pledged to hold community update meetings at least
quarterly in addition to workshops on specific topics
of interest to the public. Such meetings will allow
residents to hear about progress and to raise concerns as
EPA moves forward in developing its cleanup plans.

EPA has given a Technical Assistance Grant to a local
group, the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. A TAG
provides money for activities that help your community
participate in decision-making. As holder of the TAG,

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the Watershed Council can hire independent technical
staff to review and evaluate EPA's technical documents.
The TAG group also has an obligation to keep the
community informed of its findings. EPA has invited
the TAG people to review and provide comments on
the Kalamazoo River model development. EPA also
makes its information available through six libraries
in major communities along the site as well as through
its Internet site. Most of that information now is being
supplied on computer disks that can be read on library
computers. The library and Internet addresses are at the
bottom of this fact sheet.

Bryant Mill cleanup

Residents are concerned about the slow pace of cleanup
on the Kalamazoo River. One person said EPA had
not removed enough PCB-contaminated sediments
to fill a 5-gallon bucket. The Bryant Mill cleanup
was a major project that removed some of the most
highly contaminated sediment at the Kalamazoo River.
The former Bryant Mill Pond, in Kalamazoo at the
confluence of Portage Creek and the Kalamazoo River,
is a 22-acre site adjacent to residential and commercial
areas. At the request of MDEQ, EPA removed about
155,000 cubic yards of sediment, soil and paper
residuals contaminated with PCBs with concentrations
as high as 1,000 ppm. That removal was completed
in May 1999 at a cost of about $12 million, of which
$7.5 million was paid for by Millennium Holdings, one
of the potentially responsible parties. On its Internet
information bulletin, MDEQ said: A Time Critical
Removal Was An Outstanding Success! Details of the
removal action can be viewed at http://www.michigan.
gov/deq by using the search box in the upper right
corner of the page. In the search box type the words
"Bryant Mill" (without the quotation marks). The
bulletin can be accessed by clicking on the "Allied
Paper Operable Unit" link.

City of Allegan water supply

One person expressed concern about the water,
especially ground water in the Allegan area. By law,
public supply services are required to test water and
report the results to their customers. People worried
about the quality of a private water supply should
get in touch with their local health departments.

Allegan County residents may call (269) 673-5411; in

Kalamazoo County the number is (269) 373-5200. If the
county health departments are not able to help, residents
may call MDEQ Groundwater Investigation Unit or
Water Well Construction Unit, both at (517) 241-1355.

Pollution flows to Lake Michigan

One person said that about 800 pounds a year of
PCBs are discharging from the Kalamazoo River into
Lake Michigan. EPA's Great Lakes National Program
Office conducted a study in 1994-1995 to estimate
PCB flowing from all major tributaries to the Great
Lakes. This study concluded the Kalamazoo River was
third highest, annually discharging 84 pounds of PCBs
into Lake Michigan. The Fox River in Wisconsin is
highest, discharging 475 pounds a year; second highest
was Grand Calumet Harbor in Indiana at 88 pounds a
year. EPA, in cooperation with MDEQ, is collecting
additional data to update loading estimates. Results from
this effort will be published in 2007.

Information libraries

The public can read documents related to the
Kalamazoo River Superfund site at these places:

Kalamazoo Public Library
315 S. Rose
Kalamazoo

Waldo Library
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave.

Kalamazoo

Charles Ransom Library
80 S. Sherwood
Plainwell

Otsego District Library
219 S. Farmer St.

Otsego

Saugatuck-Dotiglas Library
10 Mixer St.

Douglas

Allegan Public Library
331 Hubbard St.

Allegan

On the Web: http://vAvw.epa.gov/region5/sites

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&EPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

Region 5

Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL 60604

FIRST CLASS

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

ALLIED PAPER/PORTAGE CREEK/KALAMAZOO RIVER SUPERFUND SITE:

Public information meeting scheduled for Kalamazoo River Superfund Project

This fact sheet is printed on paper made of recycled fibers.

Public Information
Meeting Scheduled

Kalamazoo River
Superfund Project

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites you to meet with
us for an update on the Kalamazoo River modeling project and the
mediated discussions concerning the project. Following the update
we will have an open dialogue.

We will meet:

6 to 8 p.m. Wed., Sep 29

Allegan Public Schools Administration Office
Leadership Room
550 5th St.

More information is available by contacting:

Dave Novak
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator
(800) 621-8431, ext. 67478, weekdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
novak. dave@epa. gov

Persons with special needs should get in touch with Dave Novak.


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