Over 470,000 cubic yards of sediment removed
That’s 65 times the size of the Goodyear blimp, and enough to fill 150 Olympic swimming pools.
Practices
Markets
Providing crucial technical guidance on a massive environmental cleanup project
The Kalamazoo River’s watershed hosted a robust paper manufacturing industry in the 20th century, but along the way, recycling mills disposed of thousands of pounds of PCBs—banned in 1970 as a possible carcinogen. In 1990, EPA declared an 80-mile stretch a Superfund site. Our technical experts support the State of Michigan in the cleanup, providing a wide array of guidance and specialized technical skills.
Passive sampling to protect wildlife
We’ve pioneered sampling techniques that will reduce the need to test fish for monitoring.
Advanced analytical and statistical techniques
As technology and practice evolves, so does our support of this program.
Applying lessons learned from other Superfund sites
We bring insights from our environmental work around the country to support this cleanup.
For our team, the opportunity to work on the Kalamazoo River project is a chance to flex their technical skills, apply lessons learned from around the country to support the state of Michigan and support the cleanup of a watershed with a bright future. When the team had opportunity to step up and assist with a sampling approach as part of a major remedial action carried out by EPA, they were able to apply lessons learned from the Portland Harbor Superfund site and other sediment mega sites to help advance the work. This effort was noted as a significant milestone in aligning the interests of the client with EPA’s interests as the lead regulatory agency, and CDM Smith sediment sleuths were established as key technical contributors at the site.
Nearly 30 years into the project, the team is deeply invested in seeing this cleanup through to completion. Through this project, our experts are protecting vital ecosystems and the public health of the surrounding communities.
Curious to learn more?
Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.