Ironwood's gas plant cleanup share $170,000

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

Ironwood — The city of Ironwood must pay $170,000 as its share of the costs regarding the 2012 gasification plant clean-up project by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The consent decree with the EPA for claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act relating to the gas plant site was approved Monday by the city commission on a 3-0 vote. Joe Cayer Jr. and Kim Corcoran were absent.

Mayor Annette Burchell and City Clerk Karen Gullan were authorized to sign the agreement.

The city had previously been granted several extensions in a tolling agreement with the EPA concerning the former manufactured gas plant site in the Flats, near the Montreal River.

“Based upon its review, and the city of Ironwood’s representation that it does not have insurance coverage for environmental liabilities at the site, the United States has determined that the city of Ironwood has limited financial ability to pay for response costs incurred, and to be incurred, at the site,” the city’s agreement with the EPA states.

Total cost of the project was around $3 million, mostly covered on the federal level.

The gas plant was located on the northwest corner of Hemlock and West Ayer streets and produced and distributed gas to Ironwood and Hurley until the late 1950s.

Contamination from coal tar was discovered during a Poplar Street bridge construction project on the river, revealing the presence of hazardous substances.

Beginning in the fall of 2012, the EPA removed contaminated soil and buried waste material, amounting to 15,000 tons. Eleven workers were at the site, with materials hauled to the K and W Landfill in Ontonagon.

The project was completed in the summer of 2013, including site restoration.

City manager Scott Erickson told the city commission Monday the city will be responsible for groundwater monitoring through Coleman Engineering.

The city’s agreement is with Karen Dworkin, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division.

There will be no interest charged if the city pays the $170,000 within 30 days of the date of the final agreement, which has not yet been set, Erickson said. He said the $170,000 has been included in the city’s budget as a one-time payment.

“It could have been extremely higher,” Erickson said.

The city’s contribution cost was also reduced because it provided some in-kind services during the clean-up effort.