Groundwater beneath the city of Ann Arbor is currently contaminated by the probable carcinogen 1,4 dioxane - not to be confused with Dioxin. This chemical was used as an industrial solvent by Pall Life Sciences’ (PLS) predecessor, Gelman Sciences. Between 1976 and 1985, wastewater containing 1,4 dioxane was sprayed on their lawns and stored in unlined lagoons. The chemical seeped through soil and rock layers and into the groundwater and began to spread. Its physical properties allow it to spread rapidly with groundwater. Disposal of this chemical in this way was stopped in 1986.
An excellent diagram of the current cleanup effort can be found on the Ann Arbor News website: http://www.mlive.com/aanews/special/pall/index.ssf
Prohibition Zone Information
Visit the DEQ’s Gelman Sciences web site (www.michigan.gov/deqrrd, scroll to “Contaminated Sites List”, click on “Gelman Sciences, Inc. Site of Contamination”) for general information and a copy of the Court Order and Prohibition Zone map (under “Legal Documents”) or call Sybil Kolon, DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division, at 517-780-7937 for locations of the Information Repositories where relevant documents can be reviewed.
March 2005 DEQ Fact Sheet (proposed boundary map)
Revised Map (PDF)
City of Ann Arbor Complaint
More Information