EPA v. CARTER INDUSTRIALS, INC.

Case summary

SITE NAME, LOCATION, DESCRIPTION: THE CARTER INDUSTRIALS FACILITY ( CARTER ) IS LOCATED AT 4690 HUMBOLDT ST., DETROIT, MI., ABOUT HALF A MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS 94 AND 96. THE FOUR-ACRE SITE IS SITUATED IN A MIXED RESIDENTIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA NEAR DOWNTOWN DETROIT. IT IS BORDERED ON THE NORTH BY GRAND TRUCK WESTERN AND PENN CENTRAL RAILROAD TRACKS AND ON THE SOUTH IS FOREST ST., ALONG WHICH BOTH RESI DENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED. IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST IS A RESIDENTIAL AREA, AND TO THE WEST IS COMMER CIAL PROPERTY. THE 1980 CENSUS REPORTS THAT TRACTS WHICH IMMEDIATELY ADJOIN THE SITE HAVE A TOTAL POPULATION OF OVER 21,000 PERSONS. SITE HISTORY: FROM 1966 TO 1986, THE CARTER SITE WAS USED TO STORE AND SALVAGE SCRAP METAL. FROM 1966 TO 1971, THE SITE WAS OPERA- TED BY SPECTOR-CARTER METAL, WHILE FROM 1971 TO 1986, CARTER INDUSTRIALS, INC. OPERATED THE SITE. A PORTION OF THE SCRAP METAL ITEMS ACCEPTED AT THE CARTED SITE INCLUDED ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS AND CAPACITORS. DURING SALVAGE OPERATIONS, DIE LECTRIC FLUIDS CONTAINING PCBS WERE SPILLED FROM TRANSFOR- MERS AND CAPACITORS, CONTAMINATING SOIL IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. COMMERCIAL, MUNICIPAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES ADJA CENT TO THE SITE WERE CONTAMINATED BY DIRECT RUNOFF, WIND- BLOWN DUST, AND TRACKING OF SPILLED MATERIAL AND CONTAMINA- TED SOILS BY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. USEPA PROPOSED THE CARTER SITE FOR INCLUSION ON THE NPL ON JUNE 24, 1988. THE SITE WAS LISTED ON MARCH 31, 1989. REMOVAL ACTIVITIES: IN MAY 1986, THE MICH. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (MDNR) COLLECTED SOIL SAMPLES AT THE SITE, REVEALING PCB CONTAMINA- TION AT CONCENTRATIONS OF UP TO 510,000 PARTS PER MILLION (PPM). ON JUNE 4, 1986, MNDR REFERRED THE SITE TO THE EMER- GENCY RESPONSE SECT OF USEPA, REGION V.

Defendants (1)

• CARTER INDUSTRIAL, INC.Named in complaint

Facilities (1)

• CARTER INDUSTRIALS, INC.

  4690 HUMBOLDT, DETROIT, MI, 48208

  Registry ID: 110009292210

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107A — Cost Recovery

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 1990-06-20PRN Sent
• 1990-06-21Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1992-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1993-01-19Complaint Filed With Court
• 1993-06-04Concluded