Michigan Disposal Service (Cork Street Landfill)

Overview

Michigan Disposal Service, also known as Cork Street Landfill, sits at 2800 E. Cork Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The 68-acre landfill operated under private ownership from 1925 to 1961, then as a municipal landfill until 1968, and finally as a permitted Type III landfill until the State of Michigan ordered its closure in 1992. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. The City of Kalamazoo is addressing the site under a Consent Decree with EPA.

The landfill contaminated groundwater with volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, and xylene, and with heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. Contaminants have been found in groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, and leachate. Davis Creek, which runs next to the site, showed elevated lead and iron levels. A mixing-zone study found that cumulative risk from these contaminants falls within allowable limits and that Davis Creek and the Kalamazoo River are unlikely to be threatened by site contamination.

EPA selected a cleanup remedy in 1991 and amended it in 2002. Construction ran from 2000 through September 25, 2002. The remedy involved re-compacting and capping the landfill with clay and vegetation layers, installing gas vents across 22 acres, and building a new engineered cap over the remaining 30 acres. The work also included fencing, monitoring wells, and institutional controls such as deed restrictions to limit future development and groundwater use. Groundwater contaminant concentrations have declined since the final remedy was constructed, and EPA assessments indicate human exposure is currently under control.

EPA's most recent five-year review concluded that the cleanup is protective of human health and the environment. Long-term protectiveness depends on continued monitoring, evaluation of institutional controls, and mapping of methane gas migration to determine whether a stronger collection system is needed. The site achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse on October 5, 2015, and has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

Community members can comment on site conditions through August 15. Questions can be directed to the Remedial Project Manager, the Community Involvement Coordinator, or EPA's toll-free line at 800-621-8431, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.