The Michigan state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has announced that they will shortly begin cleanup at the old Quincy Smelter site in the town of Ripley. The site, which many consider to be historic, has also been pegged an “eyesore” by most of the town’s residents.

According to a story on WLUC-TV, the DEQ will begin the task of removing asbestos from 12 buildings at the site sometime this spring. The decision to go ahead with the cleanup comes after years of discussion among residents and various local and state government and environmental agencies. Most Ripley citizens were relieved to hear the news.

“The big concern is the environment”, says Glenn Ekdahl, the Franklin Township Supervisor. “The O.R.V. trail is right next to the buildings where some of the roofs are off. So, that’s the main concern, is to get the bulk asbestos out of those buildings.”

Project coordinators with the DEQ in Lansing say the “emergency removal” of asbestos is a follow-up to work previously completed at the smelter in 2004 and 2005.  EPA officials from the Chicago office are still putting the paperwork together for the current asbestos removal project. Cleanup crews are expected to start work in late April, or early May, a spokesman said.

Ekdahl says the Township will also do work this summer.

“On the east part there’s 10 acres there where the township would like to put a green space”, he says.  ”At least that’s what the township feels like they need to do; still have accessibility to the lake.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 at 9:18 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.