A once-contaminated piece of land in Benton Harbor may soon be given a clean slate.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed removing the radiation portion of the Aircraft Components, Inc. (D&L Sales) Superfund site along the Paw Paw River in Benton Harbor from the National Priorities List of the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination.
The 17-acre Aircraft Components (D&L Sales) Superfund site is located next to the Paw Paw River in Benton Harbor. Several manufacturing companies operated on site, including an airplane parts resale business. EPA found that some of the aircraft parts had deteriorated, raising concerns that radioactive paint and dust could leak out.
Today, the site is part of a community-wide development project. Hole 14 of the Harbor Shores Golf Course is located on part of the site. The course is also connected to the local arts community, and features sculptures at each hole created by area artists. In 2018, a warehouse for North Pier Brewing opened on the remaining part of the site.
EPA deletes sites – or parts of sites – from the NPL only when no further cleanup is required. The cleanup of this portion, which involved removing and disposing of radiologically-contaminated soils offsite and demolishing buildings, utilities and foundations onsite, was completed in 2003.
The chemical portion of the site was cleaned up in 2004 but will remain on the NPL until ongoing groundwater treatment and monitoring show that all regulatory standards are met.
EPA proposes the deletion of the Radiation Operable Unit because the cleanup was completed at levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure for radiological contamination and no further response action is necessary for this portion of the Site. The deletion does not require any operation and maintenance, institutional controls to restrict land or groundwater use, or five-year reviews.
More information is available at the Benton Harbor Public Library located at 213 E. Wall Street, Benton Harbor, Michigan and on Aircraft Component Superfund Site webpage.
Comments on the site will be accepted through March 24, 2023. For all comments, questions or concerns please contact
- Danielle Kaufman (kaufman.danielle@epa.gov) | Community Involvement Coordinator |
312-886-6703 - Katherine Thomas (thomas.katherine@epa.gov) | Remedial Project Manager | 312-533-5878
A Superfund site is any site in the U.S that has been contaminated by hazardous materials and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup. For more on this site, visit the EPA website.
