Cleanup Projects

Plainwell No. 2 Dam Area Removal Action

In June 2009, Georgia-Pacific finalized an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to move forward with the next phase of cleanup on the Kalamazoo River. This current action is focused on the area near the Plainwell No. 2 Dam, which is located 3.5 miles upstream from the now complete cleanup action in the Plainwell Impoundment. See the project area map below.

Field crews started work in August 2009, and initial efforts were focused on site preparation activities. Removal of targeted riverbank soils began in late September, and the first season of work was complete in late October. Crews prepared the project area for the second construction season when weather conditions permitted over the winter, and the full crews resumed work at the end of April 2010. The project is expected to be complete in late 2010.

This phase of cleanup targets the removal and off-site disposal of 14,200 cubic yards of soils and sediments from a one-mile stretch of the river. While the project is modeled after the successful cleanup in the Plainwell Impoundment, none of the structures associated with the Plainwell No. 2 Dam will be removed. During periods of active construction, construction updates will be posted here twice a month, so check back for current project status.

For the safety of our project team and everyone who enjoys the Kalamazoo River, the river between the Penn Central Railroad Crossing and the Plainwell Mill Race will be closed to the public until the end of 2010. There will be no access to the river between D Avenue and Main Street, Plainwell. Kayakers and canoeists should observe all posted signs and safety buoys. View a map of the put in/take out points upstream and downstream of the project area, and read MDNRE′s press release on the river closure.

Plainwell No. 2 Dam Project Area – Click on image to enlarge.

Plainwell Impoundment Removal Action

This artistic rendering was developed at the start of the project in 2007 to show what the river would look like at the end of the removal action. Visit the project page to see photographs of the current view of the river.

Under an agreement reached in February 2007, Georgia-Pacific and Millennium Holdings, LLC removed thousands of tons of sediments and soils from the former Plainwell Impoundment – part of the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. Removal work is complete, and the river is now flowing freely through a new western channel. Water will only flow over the remains of the old Plainwell Dam, located near the cities of Plainwell and Otsego in southwest Michigan, during times of high water.

On June 8, 2009 representatives of the USEPA, MDEQ, and MDNR along with a number of elected officials, community group members, and media representatives gathered at the project site to celebrate the successful completion of construction. Read a summary of the work effort. A graphic timeline of the project was on display, and USEPA announced the next phase of work in the Plainwell No. 2 Dam Area.

Read more about the Plainwell Impoundment Cleanup, or review a list of frequently asked questions.