The Southwest Ottawa County Landfill covers 43 acres in Park Township, Michigan. It opened in 1968, operated under a state license, and closed in 1981. Hazardous waste disposal contaminated both soil and groundwater at the site. The EPA added the landfill to the National Priorities List in September 1983, which triggers federal oversight and structured cleanup requirements.
The biggest health risk here is drinking contaminated groundwater or eating plants watered with it. Some nearby residents were connected to the public water supply around the time of closure because their private wells were contaminated. A pump-and-treat system started running in 1987 to pull back the spreading groundwater plume and was expanded several times over the years. Current assessments show human exposure is under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist right now. Even so, contaminated groundwater is still migrating, so additional controls remain in place.
The long-term cleanup plan includes a new landfill cap, a new extraction well system to keep contamination away from Lake Michigan, abandonment of remaining residential wells, and institutional controls such as land use restrictions and local ordinances. Ottawa County has been carrying out much of this work. As of 2008, the county had completed the new cap, was finishing connections to bring residents onto the public water supply, and was installing the new extraction well system. Three five-year reviews were completed in 1995, 1997, and 2003. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will evaluate whether the cleanup worked once enough groundwater data has been collected.
The site has not been deleted from the National Priorities List, and it has not yet reached the point of being ready for full anticipated reuse. Physical construction is described as complete, but groundwater migration remains an ongoing concern. Nine key documents are available through the EPA's Superfund records system. Members of the public can review site records at the Park Township Offices, located at 52-152nd Ave. in Holland, Michigan. Two EPA contacts are available for questions about the site and community involvement.
