The old chemical plant and the Pine River

St. Louis carries a heavy piece of Michigan history. A chemical plant once stood on the banks of the Pine River. It was Michigan Chemical, later Velsicol. From 1936 to 1978, it made DDT and a flame retardant called PBB. In 1973, some of that PBB was mixed by mistake into livestock feed. It was one of the worst chemical accidents in American history. The feed shipped to farms across the state. It contaminated cattle and other animals. Eventually it reached nearly everyone in Michigan. The plant closed in 1978. It was torn down and buried where it stood, sealed under a wall and a cap.

The site is one of the country’s longest-running federal Superfund cleanups. The work is still going on today. The Pine River next to the old plant was badly polluted with DDT. The state has long advised against eating fish caught there. In recent years the EPA has been building a barrier to keep contaminated groundwater out of the river. It has also been hauling away contaminated soil and water. Because of all this, St. Louis long ago switched its drinking water to a clean source. Homes in town are on municipal water. So the tap water people drink is tested and safe.

None of this means you shouldn’t live in St. Louis. Thousands of people do. The town has worked hard for decades to clean up and move forward. But say you’re buying near the old plant site or the river. Then it’s worth understanding the history. Know where the Superfund boundaries are. Ask normal due-diligence questions. The EPA keeps public information on the cleanup. The local Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force has tracked it for years.