The Velsicol Burn Pit sits within an out-of-bounds area of a public golf course in Gratiot County, St. Louis, Michigan. Michigan Chemical Corporation and later Velsicol Chemical Corporation burned and disposed of industrial waste and pesticides there between 1956 and 1970. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2010. The 5-acre burn area is divided into operable units (OUs), which are distinct zones requiring specific cleanup actions.
Thirty-eight contaminants of concern have been identified in the source area. They include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, trichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and carbon tetrachloride in soil and groundwater. Metals including arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium, nickel, and selenium are also present. Additional groundwater contaminants include 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, chloroform, and dichloromethane. Soil also contains the pesticide-related compound 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane and several metals.
EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) on July 28, 2015, selecting in-place thermal treatment for the source area (OU 01), along with excavation and offsite disposal of an ash pile and connection of nine nearby homes to the City of St. Louis drinking water system. Velsicol Chemical filed for bankruptcy, so EPA and the State of Michigan have funded all cleanup work. Between May 2024 and February 2025, the thermal treatment system operated for 285 days and removed roughly 296,000 pounds of contamination from the ground. Crews also excavated and disposed of nearly 3,200 tons of contaminated soil from the former ash pile. Site restoration was completed in November 2024, with grass restoration to be inspected in early 2026. Human exposure across the site is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist at this time. The spread of contaminated groundwater has not yet been confirmed as stabilized, and EPA does not have sufficient data to make that determination. A groundwater investigation (OU 02) is scheduled to begin in 2026, and a sitewide five-year review is estimated for June through August 2028.
Community members can get involved through interviews EPA is conducting at the T.A. Cutler Memorial Library on March 3 through 5. Sessions last about 30 minutes, and phone interviews can be arranged at other times. Residents can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator to schedule. An interactive site map with real-time monitoring data and historic aerial imagery is also available. For broader site questions, the Community Involvement Coordinator and the Remedial Project Managers can be reached through EPA.
