barrels, inc.

1404 NORTH LARCH STREET

The Barrels, Inc. site is a 2.3-acre former drum reclamation facility located in an industrial area in the northern section of the City of Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. Barrels, Inc. began operations on the site in 1961 and continued until 1980, at which time the site was abandoned. The drum reclamation process consisted of cleaning the drums in a caustic solution, and rinsing, repairing, and repainting the drums for re-use. Surface soils at the loading dock and drum storage areas were contaminated by spills during this process. The loading dock area was also contaminated by spills from a storage tank which contained the cleaning solution and a variety of residual materials that remained in a majority of the drums. The State of Michigan performed groundwater sampling in 1983 and detected lead and zinc contamination in the shallow groundwater. Soils at the site were also sampled and found to be contaminated with heavy metals, volatile hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oil, grease, and other inorganic substances. During site operations, air quality sampling revealed elevated levels for benzene and methylene chloride at the site boundary. The area is currently fenced, limiting direct contact with the potential risks at the site while remedial measures are being further evaluated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the Barrels, Inc. site for the National Priorities List (NPL) in January 1987, and finalized the NPL listing in October 1989. Approximately 9,000 people live within one mile of the site. Three schools are located within one-half mile of the site. A Lansing municipal well, which supplies water for the City of Lansing, East Lansing Township, and Delhi Township, is located in close proximity to the site. The Grand River flows within one-half mile of the site.