EPA Begins Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Former Peninsular Gas Co. Site in Calumet, Michigan

EPA Begins Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Former Peninsular Gas Co. Site in Calumet, Michigan

July 8, 2026

CHICAGO (July 8, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin cleaning up hazardous coal tar waste at the former Peninsular Gas Co. site at 55996 Lake Linden Ave. in Calumet, Michigan.

Crews will excavate soil, debris, and underground remnants of a manufactured gas plant formerly located at the site. EPA expects to remove and dispose of approximately 3,000 tons of contaminated material by the end of summer.

During cleanup, residents may notice increased activity at the site, including heavy machinery and workers wearing protective equipment. Crews will work with minimal disruption to the community while meeting strict environmental and safety standards. EPA will conduct air monitoring for the duration of the cleanup.

In the early 1900s, the site was home to a facility that produced coal gas for lighting and heating. Before the Peninsular Gas Co. converted the site to a propane gas distribution facility in the 1940s, waste was discharged into a ditch south of the site and was carried through residential areas and wetlands into nearby Hammel Creek. The property is currently used by a local utility for equipment storage.

EPA and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy began investigating the site in the 1990s. By 2008, EPA, EGLE, and Peninsular Gas had removed more than 8,200 tons of contaminated soil and sediment from the offsite areas and installed a barrier to contain the remaining coal tar onsite. At the time, ongoing distribution of natural gas prevented further excavation, but since then, operations have ceased and the above-ground infrastructure has been removed.

More information is available at EPA's website for this cleanup.

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