Rose Township Dump, also called Dorsey Dump, sits on 100 acres in Rose Township, Oakland County, Michigan. It has been on the EPA's National Priorities List since September 1983. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse in 2014, and physical construction of the cleanup is complete. Operation and maintenance activities continue, including running the groundwater treatment system.
Illegal dumping began in the 1960s. Operators placed roughly 5,000 drums of hazardous waste into about 12 acres in the southwest portion of the site. The drums leaked PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), lead paint sludges, and volatile organic compounds including benzene, toluene, and trichloroethene into soil and groundwater. Trichloroethene also broke down into vinyl chloride, which is present in the groundwater. In total, EPA has identified 39 contaminants of concern across soil and groundwater.
Between 1980 and 1986, EPA removed over 5,000 abandoned drums to address immediate threats. The long-term cleanup, built between 1992 and 2009, included excavation, thermal treatment, soil vapor extraction, and a pump-and-treat system to extract and clean contaminated groundwater. Two residential wells were also replaced. Zoning restrictions and other institutional controls prevent incompatible land uses, such as residential development, at the site.
EPA has conducted regular five-year reviews to check that the remedy continues to protect public health and the environment. The most recent review, completed in May 2022, confirmed that response actions remain protective in the short term. Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The next five-year review is estimated for May through July 2027. The site remains on the National Priorities List.
Community members can view records related to Superfund work at the site through the public information repository at Holly Township Library, located at 1116 N. Saginaw Street, Holly, Michigan. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.
