Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


An informational public meeting is set regarding the state-funded cleanup of historical gasoline contamination at a former grocery store in Dexter Township.

The former Silver Lake Grocery is located at 11100 Cedar Drive, near Silver Lake and the Pinckney State Recreation Area. The property is currently occupied, and one person lives there.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy says a gasoline storage tank leaked underground when the site was used as a gas station. The contamination was discovered in late 2017 when Rover constructed a pipeline near Dexter Townhall Road that used dewatering wells with large pumps. The dewatering created conditions that allowed contaminated groundwater to move toward the pumps. EGLE identified the former gas station as the source.

Christopher Svoboda is a Geologist with EGLE’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division Jackson District Office. He said EGLE, in cooperation with the Washtenaw County Health Department, sampled nearby residential drinking water wells in 2017-2020. No impacts above health-based criteria were found. It was noted the contamination was likely in the 1970’s until about 1980, when the store ceased operating as a fueling station.

Moving forward, EGLE funded an excavation this summer to remove contaminated source soils. EGLE says the gasoline chemicals should bio-degrade naturally, especially with much of the source soil removed. A material called PetroFix was applied to the walls and floor of the excavation, which aids microbes in breaking down gasoline chemicals more rapidly. The next steps are expanding the network of wells both on- and off-site to monitor biodegradation. EGLE also plans to replace the on-site water well.

Due to public interest surrounding the site, EGLE is hosting an informational town hall meeting to inform the public about potential risks, the history of the site, and plans for future work - followed by a question-and-answer session.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 8th from 7 to 9pm at the Dexter Township Hall, located at 6880 Dexter-Pinckney Road. The capacity of the venue is approximately 50 people. Currently, it is not intended to be a hybrid meeting.

Anyone with questions can contact Svoboda at svobodac@michigan.gov or call (517) 256-2849.

More detailed information provided to WHMI by Svoboda is attached.

Photo: Google Street View.