EPA Superfund designation for local dioxane plume will let federal agencies push for cleanup, councilmember says

Federal designation of a local dioxane plume as a Superfund site will enable the federal government to take a more active role in cleanup efforts, Ann Arbor officials said.

On CTN's Ward Talk, Councilmember Jen Cornell said the designation allows federal authorities to step in and pursue responsible parties. “The designation as an EPA Superfund site basically allows the federal government to step in and hold Gellman accountable for cleanup,” she said, adding that federal authorities have greater legal tools and resources than the state to accelerate remediation.

Cornell described a network of monitoring stations across the city — characterized on-air as “about a half dozen” small installations — where the city takes regular water samples and reports results to federal and other agencies. She said the monitored spread has been “very, very, very slow,” and that the city’s recurring monitoring and reporting inform confidence about the current rate of movement.

When asked about the geographical coverage of the plume, Cornell directed listeners to maps posted on the city’s website rather than providing an on-air estimate. She recommended the city’s online maps as the most reliable source for current plume boundaries.

No cleanup timeline or federal action schedule was stated on-air.