# old Ford dumping/testing ground at Dequindre & 23 mile rd



## wanderboy

can any old timers give me some background about the old Ford dumping/testing ground located south of 23 mile rd, between Ryan & Dequindre @ Shelby Twp? someone recently told me that site contaminated (with what? I am not sure). 

anyone got more details?


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## 8nchuck

You may be thinking of the Packard grounds


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## ESOX

> located south of 23 mile rd, between Ryan & Dequindre


Those are G&H Landfill and Liquid Disposal Inc. They are superfund sites, their status can be checked here:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/mi.htm#statelist




> You may be thinking of the Packard grounds


No, that is not in the area he described, Packard is east of what was described, between VanDyke and Mound, I am not aware of any generalized contamination found there, was there some?


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## wanderboy

ESOX said:


> I am not aware of any generalized contamination found there, was there some?


I am not quite sure, the person told me lives near by that area, and I don't know him well enough to take his words for it, so I went Google it, couldn't find anything.

he said it's contaminated with Arsenic from the Ford days, which is BAD for any living bodies. and that scare the crap out of me. After I can't find any answers Google, I turned to my only trusted source, this forum, you boys. 

don't take my (his) words for it, btw. I am still catching fish nearby (within 3 mile range), and eating it.


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## flyfishinchristian

I grew up just a couple miles from here. We used to play little league ball at Ford Field on the other side of the Packard Proving grounds. The Ford plant was sold to Visteon, and I never really considered the environmental impact from that plant because the super fund sites that Esox mentioned were always worse (and closer to the river). I remember when I was a kid we would have to roll up our windows when we drove past the Clinton at Ryan + 22 because of the stench. I think it was from incinerating the chemical waste.

Anyways, your question peaked my interest and I did some searching and found this site with pollution info on the Visteon (former Ford) plant that was at 23 + mound.

http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/facility.tcl?tri_id=48087FRDMT50500


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## Joeker51

The area between Dequindre and Ryan off 23 Mile is indeed on the superfund list as Esox mentioned. Years ago there was a junk yard on the corner of 23 and Ryan. The property across the street(north side) use to be a gravel pit as well as a so called shooting range. This area with the new homes is contaminated ground also. Shelby brought in fresh water to these homes until a water line could be run to the subdivision.
Back to your question. Back in the 50's the Big 3 would often dump toxic waste(spent paints and thinners-cleaners etc) back in the area via railroad tanker car. It was all country then ......who woulda thought that folks would actually build in the area.
Liquid Disposal was located on Hamlin Rd. between Dequindre and Ryan. Some of you may recall that they were storing and incinerating hazardous waste there until the 2 men were killed by cross contamination of chemicals while unloading some tanker trucks back in the early 80's.
Liquid Disposal had only been around a few years prior to that incident but it sparked and investigation by the DEQ that led to the superfund for the area.

By the way. Liquid Diposal was a Canadian owned company the filed bankruptcy afterwards and ran back to Canada.


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## wanderboy

so it wasn't arsenic contamination site. that makes me feel lot better.

thanks guys,
-john D.


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## Joeker51

I think there's a hell of a lot more to worry about there than just arsenic. Consider the PCB's and other contaminants that are buried there. Below are a couple of links to help make you aware of what's there and what's been done.



http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site.tcl?epa_id=MID980410823#threats


http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site.tcl?epa_id=MID067340711

http://www.epa.gov/Region5/sites/ghlandfill/index.htm


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## wanderboy

DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!!! all bad stuffs.

one thing though, the report is dated 1983. i can't see any more updated recent report.



Joeker51 said:


> I think there's a hell of a lot more to worry about there than just arsenic. Consider the PCB's and other contaminants that are buried there. Below are a couple of links to help make you aware of what's there and what's been done.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site.tcl?epa_id=MID980410823#threats
> 
> 
> http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site.tcl?epa_id=MID067340711
> 
> http://www.epa.gov/Region5/sites/ghlandfill/index.htm


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## wanderboy

Here's what I got from the project manager from EPA,

==============================================================
The remedy at G&H has effectively removed or contained the contamination
that characterized the site in 1990. The landfill was capped and an
impermeable slurry wall was installed around the perimeter. Extraction
wells and a leachate collection system now capture contaminated
groundwater and send it to an on-site waste water treatment system. The
wastewater treatment system discharges to the Clinton River, but the
discharge is required to meet strict state water quality standards.
Contaminated soils and sediments outside the slurry wall were also
excavated and treated or placed under the cap, depending upon the level
of contamination, and the wetlands south of the landfill have been
rehabilitated and returned to public use.

Nevertheless, while I believe the site's adverse effects on water
quality have been effectively controlled or eliminated, I would still
recommend that you follow the State's fish consumption advisories. 
==============================================================

enjoy............


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## Joeker51

wanderboy said:


> Here's what I got from the project manager from EPA,
> 
> ==============================================================
> The remedy at G&H has effectively removed or contained the contamination
> that characterized the site in 1990. The landfill was capped and an
> impermeable slurry wall was installed around the perimeter. Extraction
> wells and a leachate collection system now capture contaminated
> groundwater and send it to an on-site waste water treatment system. The
> wastewater treatment system discharges to the Clinton River, but the
> discharge is required to meet strict state water quality standards.
> Contaminated soils and sediments outside the slurry wall were also
> excavated and treated or placed under the cap, depending upon the level
> of contamination, and *the wetlands south of the landfill have been
> rehabilitated and returned to public use.*
> 
> Nevertheless, while I believe the site's adverse effects on water
> quality have been effectively controlled or eliminated, I would still
> recommend that you follow the State's fish consumption advisories.
> ==============================================================
> 
> enjoy............



Soooo.....why is there an 8ft fence with warning signs attached. :16suspect
If you poke around down by the river you'll find an assortment of contributing contamination ie: old batteries. Walk around and you'll find pools of ooze in pits of low laying ground. Sorry but it ain't over. Suggest you_ wander_ around down there.


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## WALLEYE MIKE

Definitely was a dump back when. Everything got dumped in there. Paint, solvents and anything you can think of that came in 50 gal. drums. My dad used to go there. We lived about 2 miles from there in the 50's-60's. Lived not 1/2 mile from there from 77-89.

LDI did stink while burning who knows what. Smelled it often when a SW wind would blow.


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## jhall586

I love fishing the clinton around this area but you guys might be changing my mind. UGH!!!


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## Silverexpress

I wonder why this stuff doesn't kill the e-coli bacteria that makes it way down to metro beach? Maybe goose poop is a lot stronger than I thought.


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## DetroitIron

Place sounds like Love Canal, where they built homes around old dumping grounds. Crap oozing up from the grounds everywhere. Many people with birth defects and cancer. 

Anybody born with 3 arms or 3 legs in the area?


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## jiggineyes

Silverexpress said:


> I wonder why this stuff doesn't kill the e-coli bacteria that makes it way down to metro beach? Maybe goose poop is a lot stronger than I thought.


 
Cause the ecoli doesnt come from that far up stream!


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## Greenbush future

Personally I would be very carful about anything that comes out of the clinton river as there is quite a bit of industrial all along the river all the way to St. Clair. The stories I have read as a kid growing up around that area are not good at all. I about fell out of my chair when I saw the houses on 23 mile going up on the old gravel pit ponds. Maybe catch and release is the way to go.


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