KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Wednesday, the City of Kalamazoo announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon begin cleanup of the Allied Paper Landfill site.
Officials say the work, starting in June, is being done to clean up polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site.
The current owners of the site, the Lyondell Environmental Custodial Trust, will be conducting the cleanup with EPA oversight.
This year’s activity will require heavy equipment entering and exiting the worksite and expects to last through early winter. The EPA and the trust will work with the city of Kalamazoo to manage traffic entering and leaving the site.
EPA officials anticipate the construction of the new landfill will take four years. The city of Kalamazoo expects to take over ownership of the property after the remedy is complete.
“I am excited that after many years of advocacy, the cleanup of the former Allied Paper landfill is ready to begin,” Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson said in a statement. “This project will protect our neighborhoods, protect our drinking water, and eventually reopen the site as a community asset. I appreciate our partners at the U.S. EPA and EGLE, and I’m especially grateful for the many dedicated Kalamazoo residents whose years of tireless advocacy helped make this cleanup possible.”
Upcoming Meeting
The city of Kalamazoo will be hosting a virtual meeting on Monday, May 24 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. with the EPA and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to answer questions and provide updates on the upcoming project.
The meeting will be streamed live to the city of Kalamazoo’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kalamazoocity and their YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgXSSXLSDxThVaaiRMsR5Q.
Community members are invited to submit questions for discussion before the meeting by emailing hello@kalamazoocity.org, posting on the Facebook event page, or by calling 269-226-6573 and leaving a recording starting at 12:00 p.m. on May 24.
Questions can also be submitted by commenting on the live stream during the town hall.
Residents should note that this meeting will be recorded and available for viewing on the City of Kalamazoo’s Facebook page and YouTube channel after the livestream.
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