Ten-Mile Drain is an underground storm sewer system in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) since September 2010. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are the sole contaminant of concern. They have been found in soil, sediment, free-phase liquid, and buildings and structures. The drain discharges into the Lange and Revere Street canals, which connect to Lake St. Clair and serve about 125 nearby homes for boating, swimming, and fishing. PCB levels in the canals have reached as high as 570 parts per million near the drain outfall.
PCBs are man-made chemicals banned in the United States in 1977. They do not break down easily in the environment. People can be exposed by eating contaminated food, touching contaminated materials, or breathing contaminated air. EPA considers PCBs potential cancer-causing chemicals. The Michigan Department of Community Health has issued a "Do Not Eat" advisory for all fish from the Lange and Revere canals and for carp and catfish from Lake St. Clair. By EPA's own performance measures, human exposure is not currently under control at this site.
Cleanup has moved through multiple phases since PCBs were first found in 2001. A removal action ran from May to October 2006. Four Records of Decision have been issued between 2011 and 2024. The most recent, issued January 22, 2024, covers excavation of the remaining contaminated storm sewer, including six manhole vaults and roughly 2,110 linear feet of concrete pipe. EPA completed soil cleanup at 56 properties through late 2024. Seventeen weirs installed inside the drain slow PCB movement and are maintained every two months to remove contaminated sediment and oil. Canal sediment cleanup will follow once PCB levels in the storm sewer system are confirmed to be dropping. The current remedial action phase runs through August 2025, with another phase estimated to begin between August and October 2026.
The site's 2022 five-year review found that interim cleanup plans remain protective of human health and the environment. The next five-year review is estimated for 2027. Construction of the full cleanup has not been completed, and the site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Community members can get involved by contacting EPA staff directly or visiting the St. Clair Shores Public Library at 22500 Eleven Mile Road for site records. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also maintains a fish advisory page for the area. For health questions, a state toxicologist is available. See the contact list below for names, phone numbers, and email addresses for both EPA and state agency staff.
