Whitehall Municipal Wells is a former Superfund site in Whitehall, Michigan, in Muskegon County. A municipal well there became contaminated with perchloroethylene, or PCE, a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning. A nearby dry cleaning operation leaked PCE into the groundwater until the source of the problem was fixed in 1981. The site was added to EPA's National Priorities List, or NPL, in 1982 and formally proposed for final listing in 1984. The NPL is the list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country that EPA tracks for cleanup.
The main health risk at the site was people drinking or coming into contact with PCE-contaminated groundwater. Federal and state agencies, along with the party responsible for the contamination, worked together to address the problem. The primary fix was replacing the impacted well. A remedial investigation started in April 1988, and EPA selected a final cleanup remedy in September 1989. That remedy called for no further action at Operable Unit 01, meaning the well replacement and prior actions were enough to protect public health. Construction was completed by September 1990.
EPA removed the site from the NPL on February 11, 1991, after confirming there was no ongoing public health risk. The Michigan Department of Public Health continues to test the city's water supply for long-term safety. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable pathways for people to come into contact with contamination. All cleanup goals have been met, required land-use restrictions are in place, and the site is ready for its anticipated uses. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on June 26, 2006.
Community members with questions about the site can contact EPA's Remedial Project Manager, Greg Gehrig, by email or phone. Information about redevelopment and reuse at this site is also available through EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which helps communities return Superfund sites to productive use.
