Progress

Over the past three decades, the KLA Group has implemented a number of significant measures to address environmental impacts and protect human health and the environment. The following is a summary of the key accomplishments to date at the site.

  • In 2005 and 2006, the KLA Group added a state-of-the-art, multilayer impermeable cap system to the landfill. The cap is designed to keep the waste that is in the landfill from leaving or "leaching" out of the landfill. The landfill is fenced and the KLA Group inspects and maintains the cap on a regular basis.
  • Legal restrictions have been placed in the deed records for the landfill, establishing legal mechanisms to provide that the landfill will be properly maintained in the future and that access and use will be restricted.
  • An enhanced landfill gas extraction system was installed in 2007. The purpose of the extraction system is to safely manage gases generated in the landfill, including methane, helping to reduce the overall impact from the landfill.
  • The KLA Group has financed and coordinated the installation of miles of water main resulting in the connection of over 440 residences to the City of Kalamazoo municipal water supply.
  • Approximately 200 groundwater, potable, and irrigation wells are sampled and analyzed on a regular basis in accordance with a plan approved by USEPA.
  • The KLA Group has established a "Groundwater Restricted Zone" ("GRZ") in Kalamazoo County pursuant to Kalamazoo County's Sanitary Code. The GRZ is a legal mechanism that restricts the use of groundwater wells in the impacted area and a 1,000-foot downgradient buffer zone. The GRZ became effective on March 9, 2016, and is expected to be amended in 2025 to take into account changes in drinking water standards.
  • The KLA Group established a GRZ in Van Buren County pursuant to the Van Buren Cass District Health Department’s Environmental Health Code to address an impacted area in Almena Township. This GRZ became effective on February 28, 2025. The KLA Group has sampled over 60 wells in Almena Township and has installed 16 replacement wells to implement the GRZ.
  • Most constituents of concern (COCs) in groundwater have naturally attenuated or decreased to the point that they are no longer a concern. The primary COC remaining above Part 201 drinking water criteria in site groundwater is 1,4-diethylene dioxide (1,4-DD) (aka 1,4-Dioxane [1,4-D]). Existing private wells are monitored for this COC on a regular basis and are replaced with new wells or municipal water as appropriate.

Ongoing Efforts

The KLA Group performs periodic groundwater sampling to monitor site conditions. These reports are submitted to USEPA and EGLE as required under the Consent Decree. The KLA Group replaces private wells with alternative sources of water when standards are exceeded.

The landfill is monitored and inspected on a periodic basis to ensure the fencing remains secure and the landfill cap continues to perform as designed.

Additional Activities

From time to time, USEPA and EGLE request additional evaluations and activities at the site.

At the request of USEPA and EGLE, the KLA Group has been monitoring per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater since 2019, as part of routine groundwater monitoring. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and many other related compounds widely used in commercial and industrial products since the 1930s.

PFOS and PFOA have been detected above the EGLE drinking water criteria of 16 and 8 nanograms per liter (aka parts per trillion) in some monitoring wells downgradient of the landfill. However, the area where PFAS has been detected in groundwater above drinking water criteria is limited to the area where residents have already been connected to municipal water by the KLA Group and groundwater use is prohibited via the Kalamazoo County GRZ. The KLA Group will continue to monitor for PFAS in site groundwater to ensure the remedy remains protective.