MUSKEGON, Mich. — Years after the Sappi smoke stacks fell, plans for a massive new development in Muskegon aim to fill the void.
Proposals called for the construction of a large housing complex, Windward Pointe, containing in excess of a thousand units.
Yet, as the plan’s architects prepare to inject the long-vacant site with new life, old contamination concerns have bubbled to the surface.
Among the rolling hills and the bands of shallow forest, there are also reminders of the demolished Sappi Paper Mill’s former, much longer-lasting life of heavy industry.
Per environmental data compiled by surveyors prior to the property’s ownership transfer, the toxic materials, explosive gasses and industrial contaminants were still present in large concentrations.
Carcinogenic PFAS compounds were also detected in groundwater samples several years ago.
“It needs to be an all-hands-on-deck, we have to do something about it, like right now, at every level,” Muskegon developer Ryan Leestma related. Leestma, who also owns property on Muskegon Lake, recently conveyed those concerns in a letter to state and local leadership.
“I found that the level of contamination on that site and the things that are on that site are far worse than what anybody realizes in the public,” he noted. “It's actively leaking into Muskegon Lake. I think it's an absolute atrocity that it's been allowed to happen.”
The sprawling, 120-acre site was purchased by Pure Muskegon following the finalization of an administrative agreement between state officials and the site’s former owners circa 2016.
The purchase, officials acknowledged, had allowed data collection to begin in the first place, via both the agreement and the dissolution of deed restrictions.
Under the compact, however, “the state cannot compel the liable parties to conduct additional response activities,” nor were its current owners liable, EGLE said, for the site’s historic contamination.
The owners were, however, required, regulators said, to fulfill certain ‘due care obligations’ to protect residents from exposure.
Since it acquired ownership, Pure Muskegon, EGLE documentation related, had voluntarily taken steps to remediate the property.
Still, records showed “significant PFAS contamination remains.”
“The issues we're talking about are not new issues. They're issues that have been here a long time,” David Ruck, a documentarian whose work frequently explores environmental issues, often with a focus on water related in a parking lot overlooking the site Monday. Ruck recently alerted officials to an algae bloom that appeared on the lake’s surface. “PFAS and all these other nasty things that are here are being carried to the lake.”
The subject of some debate, the owners confirmed as much in a comment to MLIVE last year, suggesting the ‘forever chemicals’ were then “slowly leeching into Muskegon Lake.”
In response to a request for more information submitted by 13 OYS, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy confirmed PFAS compounds were “likely entering” the lake via the groundwater.
On the other hand, a 2019 survey of the Muskegon Lake Shoreline near the former industrial site conducted by GVSU researchers with the Annis Water Resources Institute and funded by the Community Foundation of Muskegon County found no traces of PFAS in the lake water.
When questioned on whether sampling may have simply missed the contaminants, Dr. Alan Steinman told me “absolutely anything was possible” but that he had yet to see the concrete evidence.
Thus, determinations of whether it is or isn’t may require more testing.
Meantime, the group recently secured $15-million in grant funding via a state appropriation to continue the cleanup effort.
The project was set for review by the city Planning Commission Thursday.
Developers would also need the green light from state regulators, who would have the final say on the development’s environmental credentials, including the acceptable level of contaminants and the cleanup required.
Issuing a joint statement just prior to publication Tuesday, representatives of Parkland Properties, the site’s prospective owners and Pure Muskegon rebuffed claims the site was ‘undevelopable’:
“Pure Muskegon purchased the former Sappi Paper Mill with the desire of preventing this large legacy site on Muskegon Lake from becoming an industrial scrap yard.
As with many former industrial sites, there are environmental conditions at this site that will need to be addressed as part of any redevelopment plan.
All environmental firms that have worked on this property over the last decade believe the environmental conditions at this site can be addressed and the site can be safely redeveloped into a lively residential and mixed-use community.
Pure Muskegon chose Parkland Properties as the developer for this important site due to Parkland’s history of performing catalyst projects in Muskegon and across West Michigan; their track record of developing other complex, industrial sites; and the belief that Parkland is the only buyer capable of performing this large and complicated project.
Unfortunately, we understand there is misleading information about the property being spread and needlessly alarming the public.
This is concerning, because it erodes the trust toward Pure Muskegon and Parkland Properties’ planned redevelopment of the property.
To date, Pure Muskegon and Parkland have worked diligently with EGLE, local and state officials to abide by all laws and regulations, and we will continue to do so.
NO development will be planned or occur that does not meet such requirements.
The recent sampling of Muskegon Lake has shown no detectable level of PFAS from this site. The conditions at the site will continue to be closely monitored.
Pure Muskegon and Parkland Properties will continue to work closely with EGLE to ensure that all environmental conditions at the property, including PFAS, are addressed as we pursue this generational, transformational project for Muskegon.”
Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson issued the following statement in response to an inquiry submitted by 13 OYS:
“The health of our environment and the ecology of Muskegon Lake is incredibly important to me and our community. After decades of concerted efforts to clean up our waterways from the industrial legacy of last century, with Muskegon Lake on the precipice of being delisted as a Great Lakes Area of Concern, it's imperative that we're mindful of how new developments impact our environment and lake ecology.
With regard to the former SAPPI paper mill site, deed restrictions set by Sappi prohibited environmental testing from being done and also limited future land use to only industrial purposes. Through the efforts of the Pure Muskegon group, these deed restrictions were lifted and environmental testing and cleanup got underway, further advancing potential redevelopment for residential, commercial, and recreational purposes. As consideration of future redevelopment plans proceed, I'm keenly interested in environmental management & cleanup plans. I would also like to see redevelopment of this former industrial site into uses that align with our city's long-term planning and development goals, while contributing to growing our local green and blue economy.”
Muskegon City Manager Jonathan Seyferth weighed in also:
“The City’s planning commission will be considering the development from a land-use perspective. Environmental oversight, a critical component in the development process, comes during other steps of the review process in partnership with state agencies.”
This story will be updated with any new developments.
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