Bendix Corp./Allied Automotive

Overview

The Bendix Corp./Allied Automotive site sits on 20 acres about four miles south of St. Joseph in Berrien County, Michigan. It was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in February 1990 after industrial waste disposal in unlined lagoons during the 1950s and 1960s contaminated soil and groundwater. The site is currently owned and operated by Robert Bosch Corporation, which runs an active brake manufacturing facility there. As of December 2024, that facility employed 570 people and generated about $63.8 million in annual sales.

The main contaminants are chlorinated solvents, specifically tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), along with breakdown products like vinyl chloride and various dichloroethene and dichloroethane compounds. Groundwater also contains metals including arsenic, aluminum, manganese, zinc, and iron. Contamination spread into two groundwater plumes, one to the east and one to the west of the former disposal area. People could be at risk if they drink or contact contaminated groundwater, but that groundwater is not currently used as a drinking water source. Sampling has not found vapor intrusion, a process where contaminant vapors seep into buildings, occurring at the site.

Cleanup began in earnest after a remedy was selected in September 1997. A soil vapor extraction (SVE) system has run since 1999, cutting volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in soils by 98 percent. A 2009 update to the remedy added a groundwater extraction and treatment system for the western plume. Three wells pump contaminated groundwater through an air stripper to remove VOCs, and the treated water is discharged to Hickory Creek. An asphalt cover blocks direct contact with contaminated soil at the eastern plume source. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, prohibit residential use and ban the use of contaminated groundwater in affected areas.

Human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist at this time. Physical construction of cleanup work is complete, though operation and maintenance activities continue. The status of groundwater migration has not yet been determined due to insufficient data on whether contaminated groundwater movement has been stabilized. The site has not been deleted from the NPL and has not achieved sitewide readiness for all anticipated uses. The most recent five-year review, completed in August 2024, confirmed that cleanup actions match the selected remedy and remain protective in the short term.

Community members with questions can contact EPA staff directly. Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is also available for state-level questions. Site records are available for public review at the Maud Preston Polenski Memorial Library at 500 Market Street in St. Joseph.