Welcome to the Kalamazoo River Webline

Project Update: Plainwell No. 2 Dam Cleanup

Aerial Photograph: Plainwell No. 2 Dam diversion structure Click on photo to enlarge.

A cleanup project is underway upstream of Plainwell. Modeled after the successful cleanup in the Plainwell Impoundment, the soil and sediment removal effort in the Plainwell No. 2 Dam Area started in August 2009 and is expected to be complete in late 2010.

Learn more about the project and read the bi-monthly construction updates.

Media representatives: Still photography of the project captured on October 15, 2009 is available for download.

Project Update: Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit

Click on image to enlarge.

Area Map: Location of the WB/A-Site OU

On September 30, 2009, an agreement was finalized in federal court between Georgia-Pacific and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to design and construct permanent caps for the two landfills at the Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit (WB/A-Site OU). Read USEPA′s June 2009 fact sheet on the project.

Georgia-Pacific will consolidate PCB-containing materials in the landfills, install the permanent caps (temporary caps are currently in place), design and install a groundwater and landfill gas monitoring system, build long-term storm water and erosion control measures, and remove the sheetpile wall along the river.

Georgia-Pacific will also restore wetlands, woodlands, and shoreline habitat in designated areas (see an artist’s rendering of post-construction conditions below) and restore a natural screen of trees along the fence that runs along the southern boundary of the landfills.

Work associated with project planning and engineering design is under way, and these efforts, including a pre-design investigation, are expected to be complete by the end of 2010. Construction work is currently expected to begin in 2011 and be complete by the end of 2012.

Questions about the project can be directed to Mr. Michael Berkoff of USEPA at 312.353.8983 or berkoff.michael@epa.gov.

Views of the Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit

Aerial Photograph: Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit and surrounding area – May 2009 Click on photo to enlarge.

Artist′s Rendering: Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit after Construction Click on photo to enlarge.

Project Update: Supplemental Remedial Investigations

Supplemental Investigation activities in Area 1 (Morrow Dam to Plainwell Dam) are currently in progress. The schedule for starting Supplemental Investigation activities in Areas 2 through 7 of the Site was approved by USEPA in September 2008. The start dates mark the beginning of the planning process, and Georgia-Pacific will submit an Area-specific work plan to USEPA within 90 days of each start date. View a map of the investigation areas.

Fish Consumption Advisories for the Kalamazoo River

The Michigan Department of Community Health issues a Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide that includes recommendations on ways to "get the benefits of eating fish without the risks from chemical contamination." Tips on fish preparation methods are included along with specific fish consumption advice by water body, fish species, and fish length. The MDCH´s recommendations for the Kalamazoo River are listed on pages 38 and 39 of the guide.
Read the most recent Consumption Guide.