​Client:
Confidential

Location:
Southeast, MI

Prime Consultant:
NTH Consultants, Ltd.

NTH Budget:
$800,000

Project Start:
2004

Project Completion:
2008
NTH’s Value Added
NTH overcame significant technical and legal obstacles posed by the myriad of historical activities and the property’s status as a RCRA site. Through the use of our highly skilled technical staff and existing relationships with regulatory agencies to facilitate expedited negotiations, we were able to address the environmental issues and address environmental obstacles to redevelopment.
FORMER MCLOUTH STEEL MILL SITE
Assessment, Site Decommissioning & Remedial Design for Brownfield
Redevelopment
Project Overview
NTH was retained to conduct a comprehensive site evaluation in preparation for abatement, demolition, remediation, and redevelopment activities. The site is a former steel manufacturing plant covering more than 200 acres that has Toxic Substance Control (TSCA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) liability due to historic operations and current site conditions.

The initial plan was to redevelop the site into a residential community. When that did not prove economically feasible, the site owner retained NTH at their consultant for their planned resumption of steelmaking operations at the site.

Project Scope
The former steel manufacturing plant still contains numerous buildings, debris piles, regulated wastes, a wastewater treatment facility and waste management units.  

NTH has provided the following services:
  • Hazardous materials survey and investigation that was used to quantity waste streams and provide cost estimates for abatement. 
  • Subsurface investigation to evaluate fill material onsite and determine appropriate response actions for closure. 
  • Groundwater investigation and feasibility study to determine remediation options and costs to achieve closure. 
  • Geotechinical investigations to evaluate the suitability of soil to support proposed structures.
  • Develop the remediation plan for the various waste management units and general site contamination.
  • Negotiations with MDEQ to develop site-specific exposure criteria that will be used to achieve closure and satisfy RCRA requirements.
  • Development of an air monitoring program for demolition, construction and occupancy phases of redevelopment.
  • Work plan development for prospective purchase agreements (PPAs) and covenants not to sue at the State and Federal level.
  • Development of demolition and decommissioning costs.
  • Evaluated bids for demolition and decommissioning and assisted the owner during contract negotiations with the selected contractor.
NTH performed expedited turnkey services for the redevelopment within the developer’s tight time constraints. Although these projects did not proceed to construction, NTH identified relevant concerns at the site and gathered data that will expedite and reduce costs for any for future development at the site.