McLouth Steel Corp

Overview

McLouth Steel Corp is a former steel plant in Trenton, Michigan that operated from about 1950 until 1995. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in May 2019. The site covers roughly 273 acres split into a 197-acre southern section and a 76-acre northern section. Cleanup work is organized into three operable units (OUs): OU 01 for soil and source areas, OU 02 for southern section groundwater, and OU 03 for Detroit River sediment and surface water. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) covering all three OUs began in February 2023 and is still underway. No final cleanup remedy has been selected yet.

Contaminants at the site include PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), asbestos, manganese, lead, dioxins, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These are found in soil, groundwater, and river sediment. PCBs are man-made chemicals linked to cancer and damage to the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems based on animal studies. Asbestos exposure raises the risk of lung disease. Over 3,700 PCB-containing transformers and capacitors were found at the site in 2007, and vandals spilled mercury there in 2017.

Several cleanup actions have already taken place. EPA completed a mercury cleanup in 2017. Between 2019 and March 2022, EPA oversaw removal actions on OU 01. A major phase completed in November 2021 cost $20 million and involved demolishing about 45 structures, removing asbestos and PCB-containing materials, and draining contaminated water and sludges from 23 subsurface structures. The northern section is being addressed separately under an agreement with Riverview-Trenton Railroad Co., which committed to investigate five waste management units, clean them up if needed, test groundwater, control dust, and evaluate stormwater management. The entire property is now fenced.

Current data show human exposure is not confirmed as under control, groundwater migration is not confirmed as stabilized, and physical construction of the final cleanup has not been completed. The site is not yet ready for its anticipated future use. EPA and Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) continue to oversee activities.

Community members can get involved in several ways. The McLouth Steel Community Advisory Group (CAG) holds quarterly meetings on the second Thursday of every three months from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and welcomes the public. Year 1 technical memoranda for all three OUs covering soils, groundwater, and sediment are available for public review. To receive updates by email, send a message to listserv@lists.epa.gov with "subscribe mclouth yourname" in both the subject line and body.