Kent City Mobile Home Park is a 2-acre property in Kent City, Michigan, where a buried 55-gallon drum left over from a former dry cleaning business contaminated both soil and groundwater. The drum held floor drainage from the dry cleaning operation. Its contents reached a well that served about 75 mobile homes on the site. Hazardous compounds were first found in well water samples in 1982, and EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1987.
The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in the contaminated well include carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, toluene, and trichloroethylene. VOCs are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily and can pose health risks when people drink or come into contact with contaminated water. The cleanup focused on removing the source of contamination and protecting residents from exposure through ingestion or skin contact.
The mobile home park owner, with help from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, removed the buried drums and contaminated soil in 1984. The contaminated well was replaced, and groundwater monitoring was established. The Michigan Department of Public Health later confirmed that groundwater and private wells no longer posed a threat to human health or the environment. EPA selected a final remedy on September 13, 1994, and deleted the site from the National Priorities List on March 20, 1995.
Human exposure is now under control. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met, and no unacceptable risks remain. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent land uses inconsistent with the cleanup level, remain in place to limit exposure to any residual contamination. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse on June 26, 2006, and residents continue to live in the mobile home park today. As of December 2024, two on-site businesses employed 12 people and generated roughly $1.04 million in annual sales revenue.
Community members or others with questions about the site can contact the EPA Remedial Project Manager directly.
