Wurtsmith Air Force Base covers 5,223 acres in Iosco County, Michigan. Leaking chemical storage tanks and waste disposal operations contaminated soil and groundwater across the site. The EPA proposed the base for the National Priorities List (NPL) on January 18, 1994, but it was never formally listed. Because it is a non-NPL federal facility, cleanup proceeds under federal and Michigan law without requiring EPA approval.
The U.S. Air Force is the primary party responsible for cleanup. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy oversees the work. EPA's role is limited to helping the Air Force and state communicate. The EPA withdrew from active involvement in 2014 when the Department of Defense ended funding for EPA participation in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program.
EPA has identified 35 contaminants of concern in groundwater, focused on areas called operable units LF30 and LF31. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Metals including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and chromium are also present. Semi-volatile organic compounds such as naphthalene and dibutyl phthalate round out the list. The cleanup addresses health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminated soil and groundwater.
The site is divided into ten operable units. Some have finished remedial action, including OU 07 (POL Yard), completed between 1990 and 1998, and OU 01 (Site OT24), finished on March 30, 2001. A remedy was selected on August 15, 2013, covering the LF30 and LF31 landfills. That remedy includes groundwater extraction, hydraulic control, an engineered soil cap, excavation, and long-term monitoring. Other operable units still have active or incomplete remedial actions. Physical construction of the cleanup is not yet complete, and the site is not sitewide ready for anticipated use.
The Air Force is gradually transferring portions of the base to the Oscoda Airport Authority for redevelopment as an industrial park and airfield. Community members can follow cleanup progress through the Air Force Civil Engineer Center website, the Administrative Record, the Restoration Advisory Board, and Michigan's PFAS Action Response Team webpage. The EPA's Remedial Project Manager and Community Involvement Coordinator can also point residents to relevant documents and records.
