Kysor Industrial Corp. is an active automotive parts manufacturer in Cadillac, Michigan, operating in the Cadillac Industrial Park since 1959. Historical dumping of spent solvents and degreasers behind the facility contaminated soil and groundwater. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in October 1989. Groundwater contamination also includes hexavalent chromium from the adjacent Northernaire Plating Superfund site, and the commingled plume has migrated northward into a residential area in Haring Township.
EPA identified 16 contaminants of concern at the site, found in soil and groundwater. These include solvents such as trichloroethene, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, and dichloroethane, along with acetone, chloroform, cyanide, chromium, toluene, xylene, and dichloromethane. Most contaminants were detected in groundwater. Trichloroethene, trichloroethane, toluene, and xylene were also found in soil.
Soil removal and soil vapor extraction finished by September 1996, and the extraction system was shut down in 2010. The long-term remedy relies on groundwater extraction and treatment, with treated water discharged to the Clam River. Institutional controls, including local zoning ordinances updated most recently in September 2018, prevent residential development and restrict drinking water use of contaminated groundwater. Most residents who used groundwater are now connected to municipal or township water supplies. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and groundwater migration is stabilized. The most recent five-year review, completed August 13, 2025, found the remedy continues to protect human health in the short term, with long-term protectiveness dependent on achieving groundwater cleanup goals.
A recent community concern involves PFAS, a group of chemicals not listed as contaminants of concern at this site. Michigan's PFAS Action Response Team sampled residential wells near the industrial park in late 2024 and early 2025 and found PFAS above Michigan Drinking Water Criteria in some private wells. The local health department offered filters to affected residents. Based on current monitoring data, the Kysor Industrial Corp. and Northernaire Plating sites are not the source of that PFAS contamination. EPA plans to sample monitoring wells for PFAS starting in fall 2025 to confirm this finding.
Community members can get more information through community meetings or a multi-agency frequently asked questions document from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Public records are available at the Cadillac Wexford County Public Library at 411 South Lake Street or at the Cadillac City Municipal Complex at 200 North Lake Street.
