Peerless Plating Co. operated an electroplating facility in Muskegon, Michigan from 1937 to 1983. When the owner abandoned the plant in 1983, hazardous waste, raw materials, and plating solutions were left behind. Hydrocyanic acid gas inside the building posed an immediate public health threat. EPA conducted emergency response actions from 1983 to 1990 to remove those materials. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on August 30, 1990, making it eligible for federal Superfund cleanup funding.
Soil at the site contains 23 contaminants of concern. These include volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, and toluene. Heavy metals found in soil include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and thallium, along with aluminum, antimony, barium, and cyanide. These substances pose unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amounts present and the known effects of exposure.
The main cleanup remedy was selected in September 1992 and included soil vapor extraction, solidification and stabilization of excavated material, groundwater extraction, air stripping, and off-site disposal. Construction of the remedial action was completed on April 5, 2001. The remedy has been updated several times since then. A 2013 amendment introduced chemical reduction and permeable reactive barriers as passive in-situ treatment options. EPA injected additives into the groundwater from 2014 through 2016 to help break down contaminants, and a permeable reactive barrier was installed in 2016. Groundwater monitoring has shown positive results from those injections.
Michigan's environmental agency, EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), now operates and maintains the site. A pump and treat system has been running since September 2013. EGLE collects groundwater samples twice a year, routinely testing for cadmium, chromium, and cyanide. In 2019, selected wells were also sampled for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), with all detections below 100 parts per trillion. Michigan is developing a conceptual site model to guide future sampling and remediation. Human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways through air, soil, or groundwater contact have been identified. However, contaminated groundwater is still migrating and has not been fully contained. Additional cleanup action is still needed.
EPA conducts five-year reviews to make sure the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. The most recent review was completed in September 2022, and the next is estimated between September and November 2027. Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager. Site records are also available for public review at the Norton Shores Branch Library, located at 705 Seminole Road in Muskegon, Michigan.
