Public Notice: PCB Cleanup - Former WWJ Radio Building
This served as a public notice of the Proposed Approval of a Risk-Based Polychlorinated Biphenyl Cleanup and Disposal Application for the Former WWJ Radio Property Building located at 12700 West 8 Mile Road in Oak Park, Michigan.
Background
The Former WWJ Radio property consists of a 4.59-acre parcel that is developed with one 5,325 square foot one-story building with a partial basement. The building was constructed in 1938 and is centrally located on the subject property while the remainder of the property is developed with an asphalt drive, small parking lot and a manicured lawn. The building is currently unoccupied and was previously used as the broadcasting studios and offices of WWJ Radio AM 950 from 1938 through the 1990s.
The source of PCB contamination at the property was from two 4,800-volt electrical transformers located within the basement of the building. A power outage in 2014 caused a sump pump located in the basement to cease operating and the basement to flood. When power was restored, water in the basement contacted the energized transformers, resulting in an explosion and release of transformer oil containing PCBs. This impacted the floors, walls, and ceiling of the basement. Flood water from the basement was pumped onto a grass area located approximately 70 to 80 feet northwest of the building.
Sampling was performed to characterize the extent of PCB contamination in exterior soils and interior basement surfaces. Soil samples collected from beneath the basement concrete floor and groundwater samples collected at the property did not detect PCB contamination.
The Application proposes to excavate exterior PCB contaminated soil and cleanup interior basement concrete surfaces to meet a ≤ 1 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) cleanup level appropriate for high occupancy use areas without further conditions under the federal PCB regulations.
After cleanup, additional sampling of soils and surfaces will be done to confirm the cleanup levels are met. As a contingency, if PCBs are unable to be fully removed from basement concrete surfaces and concentrations remain above the target cleanup level of 1 mg/kg in basement concrete surfaces after cleanup is attempted, any residual PCB-impacted surfaces will be encapsulated with an epoxy coating and a PCB Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan will be implemented. This Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan will require regular inspections of surfaces and the collection of surface coating and indoor air samples to ensure that the remaining encapsulated PCBs pose no exposure risk to building occupants.
EPA determined the proposed cleanup will not present a risk to human health or the environment. EPA’s approval outlines specific conditions under which the property owner must perform the cleanup and implement a Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan for surface coatings if they are needed as a contingency measure.
EPA made a preliminary determination of no adverse effect from the undertaking pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act. The area of potential effect includes the 4.59-acre property and the WWJ transmitter building which is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. However, the undertaking, defined in terms of federal approval of the project, will be limited to the basement of the building and small area of soil removal outside the building. The remediation in these areas will not destroy any character defining features of the property. Based on a review of archeological records, there are no previously recorded archeological sites or surveys within one mile of the project. Please refer to the Section 106 report and archeological records review for additional information on the determination of the undertaking, historical properties, and effects.
EPA took comments from the public from September 20, 2023 to October 19, 2023 on the draft approval for the Former WWJ Radio Property Building located at 12700 West 8 Mile Road in Oak Park, Michigan. EPA is considering comments, if any, submitted during the period before rendering a final decision. EPA will notify any persons who have submitted comments of EPA’s final decision.
Copies of the draft PCB cleanup approval and supporting documents are available below. Comments were accepted on the draft EPA approval, not the supporting documents.
Facility, Repository and Contact Information
General Facility Information
| Category | Facility |
|---|---|
| City: | Oak Park |
| State: | Michigan |
| County: | Oakland |
Repository Information
| Category | Repository |
|---|---|
| Name: | Oak Park Public Library |
| Street Address: | 14200 Oak Park Boulevard |
| City/State: | Oak Park, Michigan |
| Hours: | Monday 10:00AM - 8:00PM Tuesday 10:00AM - 8:00PM Wednesday 10:00AM - 8:00PM Thursday 10:00AM - 8:00PM Friday 10:00AM - 5:00PM Saturday Closed Sunday 1:00PM - 5:00PM |
Contact Information
EPA Public Affairs Specialist:
Francisco Arcaute
Arcaute.Francisco@epa.gov
(312) 886-7613
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., weekdays
TSCA Project Manager:
Peter Ramanauskas
Ramanauskas.Peter@epa.gov
(312) 886-7890
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., weekdays
For other inquiries about this public notice, please contact us.
Important Dates
- The public comment period was open from September 20, 2023 to October 19, 2023. The comment period is now closed.
Supporting Documents
- Draft PCB Risk-Based Cleanup and Disposal Approval (pdf) .
- Final PCB Risk-Based Cleanup and Disposal Application (pdf) .
- Combined Historic Architecture Archeological Section 106 Supporting Documents (pdf) .