EPA stops PCB dump plans for 2007

Updated 8:44pm KALAMAZOO (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - There will be no dumping of PCB's from the Kalamazoo River in the city of Kalamazoo. Not this year.

For decades paper companies set up shop along the banks of the Kalamazoo River. Most of them are now closed down, but years of waste has left the banks of the river contaminated with cancer-causing PCB's.

The EPA had planned to scoop up that sediment, load it into trucks and then dump it at the Allied Paper Landfill, near the corner of Cork and Burdick Streets.

It was a victory Wednesday for those opposed the EPA's plan, but this is only a delay.

The people at the Edison Neighborhood Association are concerned about what could happen in 2008.

Wednesdays are trash days along Homecrest Avenue, but those living there are more concerned about the trash you don't put by the driveway.

The concern was contaminated dirt the EPA planned to dump near Joel Schoonbeck's backyard.

"Off in that direction," said Schoonbeck, pointing towards the landfill.

Schoonbeck has monitored the old Allied Paper site and the Kalamazoo River since the 1970s when his grandparents lived there. "It looked like somebody had put milk in it, it was just nasty," said Schoonbeck.

The water runs clear today but Schoonbeck says his fight to clean up the site has just started.

"I'm relieved but I'm cautious, at this point I don't trust the EPA, the DEQ or the DNR.

The EPA says it won't dump any sediment containing PCB’s here in 2007. The city is looking forward to the discussions about 2008.

"It's hard to imagine them changing their minds," said Mayor Hannah McKinney. But people living along Homecrest Avenue want to make sure that doesn't happen.

"This is our community, it's very small, it's very tight," said neighbor Keely Novatny.

Joel Schoonbeck says the EPA should live up to its promises from 12 years ago. "When we bought this home it was our understanding the site was going to be cleaned up."

The contaminated sediment containing PCB’s will go to landfills in Detroit and across the state in 2007. The EPA says it's considering all options for 2008.

Kalamazoo city leaders issued a statement Wednesday afternoon. Part of it read: "The city wishes to thank all the concerned citizens and various groups that actively supported this successful effort to prevent this burden being placed on our community. It was the voice of the citizens that made the difference."

There's a feeling here that while homeowners may have won the battle, there's still a war to fight.

While the demonstrators that gathered Wednesday night before a meeting between neighbors and the community say they're relieved by the announcement.

They want the EPA to know they're not going away. They're looking for guarantees that the Kalamazoo River clean-up will continue, and that the PCB's won't end up here or in someone else's community.

Then there's the issue of tons of PCB contaminated sludge and soil already at the site of the former Allied Paper plant.

"We need to push for the stuff that's there to be removed. The EPA said in 98 and 99 it was temporary and I truly believe by talking with the residents there they were deceived. They were not warned," said demonstrator Amber Colegrove.

The EPA is meeting with residents to discuss those issues.