08/12/2006

Contamination has officials looking at municipal water expansion

by CRAIG McCOOL

mccoolrecordeagle@sbcglobal.net

MANCELONA — Recently discovered areas of groundwater contamination may require an expansion of the municipal drinking water system.

Ongoing monitoring of a known contamination plume stretching more than five miles from the village of Mancelona toward the Shanty Creek resort confirms that the plume is growing, said Bob Wagner, supervisor of the Gaylord offices of the Department of Environmental Quality.

"We had hoped it had gotten to a stagnation point, that it wouldn't expand any more," Wagner said. "The information is pretty clear now, that it's not the case."

The state has spent millions to monitor the plume of trichloroethylene, or TCE, a result of improper chemical dumping more than 40 years ago by former Wickes Manufacturing, now home to Dura Automotive.

Mancelona utilities director Gary Knapp said elevated TCE levels have been found along Del Mason Road, north of M-88 near the Schuss Village.

"That's the primary area where the existing water system would be expanded to," Knapp said. "The system is already in that area, but falls a little short."

A second area of concern has been identified near and around the intersection of Johnson and Kresnak roads northwest of the village of Mancelona, Knapp said.

Four years ago, the state spent $6.5 million to install a municipal water system — almost 20 miles of line — in the area affected by the plume.

Knapp said initial cost estimates for the required expansions ran about $5 million.

Wagner said funds for any municipal water expansion would likely come from a $675 million bond state voters passed in 1998. The DEQ requests money from that fund for various projects each year.

This year's DEQ request for the 2007 budget year was $20 million "for the entire state," Wagner said.

Whether some or all of the money required for a water expansion in Mancelona will be part of that $20 million has yet to be decided, Wagner said. But the site is a priority, he said.

"This is one of those sites that the department has chosen to spend money at. There's an obvious need," Wagner said.