The K&L Avenue Landfill covers 87 acres in Oshtemo Township, Michigan. It operated as a local dump starting in the 1960s and became the county sanitary landfill in 1968. It closed in 1979 after contaminants showed up in nearby residential wells. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in September 1983, and it remains on that list today.
Groundwater at the site contains 32 confirmed contaminants. These include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, trichloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Heavy metals found in groundwater include cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and zinc. Other contaminants include phenols, ketones, ammonia, and total dissolved solids. Isolated soil areas also contain low levels of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination.
Major cleanup work included installing a landfill cap, completed in 2005 and 2006, and converting passive gas vents to an active methane extraction system in 2008. Between 1980 and 2004, Kalamazoo County installed new wells or connected affected homes to public water supply. Construction of the remedial action finished in December 2006, with the remedial action itself wrapping up in September 2007. Institutional controls are in place to prevent land uses like residential development that would be unsafe given current contamination levels.
EPA completed its most recent five-year review in March 2025. That review confirmed the cleanup is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist right now. However, contaminated groundwater is still migrating and has not stabilized. Long-term protectiveness depends on establishing a countywide groundwater use ordinance that would require residents to abandon private drinking water wells and connect to public water supply. A feasibility study for the groundwater operable unit began in February 2015, with remedial design work estimated for late 2027 and early 2028. Groundwater monitoring, surface water monitoring, and air monitoring all continue at the site.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
