Grand Traverse Overall Supply Co.

Overview

Grand Traverse Overall Supply Co. is a former commercial laundry and dry-cleaning facility in Greilickville, Michigan. It was added to the National Priorities List in September 1983 after operations between the 1950s and 1970s contaminated groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a group of chemicals that evaporate easily and can pose health risks. The site has moved through remedial investigation, cleanup design, and active remediation, and physical construction of the cleanup is now complete. The site also achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in April 2019.

The main contaminants are tetrachloroethene (also called perchloroethylene), trichloroethene (also called trichloroethylene), vinyl chloride, and various forms of dichloroethene. These were found in groundwater, soil, soil gas, and sediment. At least 10 drinking water wells were affected, including one serving an adjacent elementary school. The greatest health risk comes from drinking contaminated groundwater. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.

Cleanup actions have included replacing contaminated wells, excavating a dry well and contaminated soil, closing wastewater lagoons, and treating groundwater with a pump-and-treat system using air strippers. That system ran from 2012 until August 2020, when EPA shut it down based on diminishing effectiveness and decreasing contaminant levels. A soil vapor extraction system was installed under the former Norris Elementary School in 2005, discontinued in 2017, then reinstalled in October 2020 after new vapor sampling showed concerning contaminant levels beneath the building. No vapors were found inside the school itself. Long-term response action for the main cleanup area began in August 2014 and is scheduled to conclude in August 2024. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) continues quarterly groundwater sampling to track remedial effectiveness.

Institutional controls restrict groundwater and land use on the site and in surrounding affected areas. These restrictions remain in place until drinking water standards and soil cleanup levels are met. They can take the form of restrictive covenants, zoning ordinances, health regulations, and deed notices. EPA's most recent five-year review, completed in April 2022, concluded that the remedy protects human health and the environment. The next five-year review is estimated between April and June 2027.

Community members can follow the site's progress through EPA's Superfund database, which holds 12 key documents, 54 web content documents, and 218 administrative records. EPA is currently conducting its third five-year review and welcomes public comments on site conditions through January 31, 2027. Questions can be directed to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.