The Bay Mills Indian Community in the eastern Upper Peninsula is receiving $600,000 to clean up contaminants at the tribe's so-called 'Silver Dome' site.
The grant comes from the Environmental Protection Agency’s program to address brownfield sites.
Per the EPA, the sites are defined as “property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”
The program's $1.5 billion in funding comes from 2021's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The funds for Bay Mills will address contaminations found in the Silver Dome, a storage site used for various construction projects and equipment.
The chemical in question is tetrachloroethylene, or TCE. According to the EPA announcement, the source of the chemical inside the dome is unknown.
For Bay Mills, the issue is in the soil. According to the Community's Environmental Director Jennifer Satchell, TCE is vaporized from the ground inside the dome, causing possible transmission via the air.
Satchell added that health concerns from exposure to TCE include possible damage to the liver, and kidneys, along with vision problems and other neurological issues.
The Silver Dome site is about one acre total, with ¼ of that land needing remediation.
According to community president Whitney Gravelle, the cleanup will happen in 2025.
“We will dismantle and remove the actual Silver Dome. Once that's removed, they are going to come in and they're going to remediate the soils. Which means that they're going to be pulling all of the contamination out of the ground.”
The members of the Bay Mills Indian Community are enthused about the grant announcement.
“It is a crucial step forward. People want to see the land get cleaned up and they want to make sure that we're keeping our land in its natural state so that we're able to provide a healthier environment for future generations”, Gravelle said.
Along with Bay Mills, Michigan will receive more than six million to address other contamination sites across the state.
