If you go to the environmental mapper on the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy website, you’ll find a handful of contamination sites scattered around the City of Lowell. These are areas in which undesirable elements have been found in the ground at one time or another.
Of them, none has generated the same level of concern as a site on Foreman Street. Originating from the Root-Lowell Manufacturing Co., the contamination at this site dates back to the late 1980s and has been of particular concern given its proximity to local schools.
Some residents speculate that a rash of cancer cases could be linked to the site, and state officials say they are currently analyzing data from the area. Meanwhile, the company responsible for remediation efforts says no trace of trichloroethylene (TCE) has been found in monitoring wells since 2010.
History of Lowell Contamination Site
According to state records, the contamination was first reported in November 1989. At that time, Root-Lowell was manufacturing garden and lawn care sprayers using metal parts. The report to the state noted that there was a surface discharge of metals and solvents. It is unclear how long and how much material was discharged, but subsequent sampling found the soil and groundwater were contaminated by at least eight hazardous substances:
- Vinyl chloride
- Methyl ethyl ketone
- Cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE)
- Ethylbenzene
- Xylene
- Toluene
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
Some of these substances – notably the vinyl chloride and cis-1,2-DCE – were believed to be the byproducts of the TCE and PCE degrading.
A groundwater remediation system was installed in 1994 and began operating in 1995. That system pulled out contaminated groundwater, treated it and then discharged it to a storm sewer that resulted in the water eventually emptying into the Flat River. That system was shut down in 2011, but testing has continued since then.
“Since this issue was identified, we have used industry best practices and state-of-the-art remediation methods, including multiple monitoring wells, groundwater capture and treatment systems, soil vapor extraction systems and natural bioremediation that meet or exceed all EGLE requirements for addressing trichloroethylene, or TCE,” says Mary Ann Sabo, a spokesperson for H.D. Hudson, the company that now operates out of the former Root Lowell facility.
Today, most of the contaminants listed above are no longer detected in testing and no longer a concern. However, cis-1,2-DCE and vinyl chloride, which are remnants of TCE, remain present and are above the acceptable levels for drinking water and the “Volatilization to Indoor Air Pathway” (VIAP). Since there are no drinking wells in the area, recent remediation efforts have focused on addressing the VIAP concern.
Vapor Intrusion and Local Schools
The concern with the remaining contaminants is that they could seep into a building and cause health problems for those breathing in the vapor.
While the amount of contamination is problematic for indoor air, it doesn’t pose a threat to those outside. “These chemicals will quickly dissipate and/or react with the sun’s energy and be broken down into harmless substances,” says Jason Poll, an assistant district supervisor in EGLE’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division. He was previously the state’s project manager/environmental quality analyst for the site.
To monitor for VIAP, a total of 16 vapor pins were installed at Bushnell Elementary School in 2020 to check the level of contamination in the ground below the foundation. Vapors were found beneath the foundation but not in any indoor air samples.
Additional testing found that vapors were concentrated under the foundation at the northeast corner of the building. Again, indoor testing did not find any contamination in the air inside the building. A soil vapor extraction system was installed in 2020 to pull vapors out from under that corner of the foundation.
The contamination plume had been moving to the southeast so additional testing has been done to ensure no additional properties have been affected. For instance, Poll notes that multiple rounds of soil samples at St. Mary’s Church did not detect any chemicals of concern above the cleanup criteria.
Health Concerns in the Area
While the contamination area has been shrinking, some residents worry the site may be responsible for what they say is a cluster of cancer cases in the neighborhood. A Facebook group was formed by Kate Lax who grew up in the area and was diagnosed with brain cancer. While Lax passed away early this year, the group remains a way to connect people who are concerned about the health impacts of the site.
Some residents have been in touch with the state about these concerns, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says it is investigating.
“We have been analyzing Michigan cancer data to determine if rates of cancer [in the area] are different than what would be expected,” wrote Tom Largo, section manager of the environmental health surveillance section in MDHHS, in an emailed response to questions from Lowell’s First Look. He notes a report will be released about the findings but adds that this study won’t be able to identify the source of cancer cases: “One caveat, this study will not be able to ascertain if any cancer occurrence is caused by a particular environmental exposure.”
According to Jacob Carrick, a toxicologist with MDHHS, TCE is known to interfere with fetal development, can affect the immune system and has been linked to kidney cancer. Whether someone’s health is affected by TCE depends on factors such as the length and extent of the exposure and a person’s underlying health concerns.
“In the past, elevated concentrations of trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE) were detected in a groundwater monitoring well between Lowell Middle School and Bushnell Elementary School, but there is insufficient information to determine whether the contamination may have posed a vapor intrusion hazard at that time,” according to Carrick. “These chemicals have not been detected in that monitoring well since 2007 and were never detected in indoor air.”
Complicating matters is the fact that there were concerns about poor ventilation and mold growth in Lowell Middle School during a period that overlaps with the TCE contamination. The two issues weren’t connected, according to Lowell Area Schools Superintendent Nate Fowler, but people often conflate the two.
“There were questions about our air quality,” Fowler says. This occurred during the early to mid-2000s, and some students and staff reported feeling ill. In response, ongoing upgrades to the HVAC system have been implemented to improve air flow, and Fowler says the current construction at Lowell Middle School should resolve any lingering problems with the old ventilation system.
Current State of the Site
For now, all those contacted by Lowell’s First Look for this story were in agreement: the remaining contaminants do not seem to pose any public health hazard.
The two possible risks related to the contamination have to do with drinking water and vapor intrusion. There are no drinking wells in the area, and City Manager Mike Burns notes that the pumps for the city water system are nowhere near the contamination site.
As for the vapor risk, that continues to be tracked by H.D. Hudson. “We have analyzed potential exposure pathways, including vapor intrusion, but have found no related TCE compounds inside the school,” Sabo says. “Monitoring remains ongoing to demonstrate that no unacceptable vapors are present in the subsurface. We want to be a good neighbor and are committed to continuing these efforts until the state determines the situation has been successfully addressed.”
Fowler says it is his understanding that H.D. Hudson has been very responsive and cooperative throughout the cleanup process, and he has no qualms about how the site has been managed. He notes that he worked as a principal and assistant principal in buildings near the contamination site and his children have attended classes there, but he has never felt worried about their health.
While not everyone shares his confidence, state workers point to this contamination site as an example of how remediation should work. According to Poll: “While some contamination remains in this area, this is a good example of how a historical spill can be cleaned up and any associated risks can be resolved or mitigated through various technologies and through natural processes.”
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