Berlin & Farro

Overview

Berlin and Farro Liquid Incineration, Inc. ran a 40-acre facility south of Swartz Creek in Genesee County, Michigan, starting in April 1971. The company incinerated industrial waste, stored waste before burning, and operated an onsite landfill for crushed drums. Permit violations led to the revocation of its incinerator and landfill permits in 1975. Illegal dumping continued until the company filed for bankruptcy in 1980. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) on September 8, 1983.

Contaminants were found across multiple media. Groundwater contained volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, trichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and several other chlorinated solvents. Soil, sludge, and waste materials contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene, and related compounds. Surface water in nearby Slocum Drain and Swartz Creek was contaminated with pesticides. Before cleanup, residents faced potential exposure through direct contact with contaminated surface water, and onsite workers risked exposure through contact with or consumption of contaminated groundwater.

Cleanup was organized into separate operable units. Early removal actions began in May 1981, with multiple EPA and state operations running through 1984. The first operable unit addressed waste removal starting in July 1982, using excavation, offsite disposal, and groundwater extraction. The final remedy was selected on September 30, 1991, and updated in 1995. Remedial action ran from December 1995 through September 1996, with construction completed on September 18, 1996. In total, 124,244 tons of contaminated soil and sediment were excavated and removed offsite. Contaminated groundwater was also extracted and removed.

The site has met all cleanup goals. Human exposure is under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways remaining. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contamination stabilized and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Because no hazardous substances remain above health-based levels, no further five-year reviews are required. EPA deleted the site from the NPL on June 24, 1998. The State of Michigan later transferred the property to Gaines Township. Institutional controls remain in place, including deed restrictions on groundwater well use and zoning restrictions that prevent residential use.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site. The site achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status on June 26, 2006, and the Superfund Redevelopment Program continues to support productive reuse of the property.