Ford River Raisin Warehouse (Monroe, Monroe County)

Christine Matlock, MatlockC2@Michigan.gov.

Ford River Raisin Warehouse is located at 3200 East Elm Avenue. In the 1930s through the 1940s, the site was used by various owners for steel milling, metal stamping, and metal forging. In 1950, Ford acquired the property and converted the site into an automobile parts manufacturing facility, where it produced coil springs, wheels, stabilizer bars, catalytic converter assemblies, headlamp housings, and chrome plated bumpers. Ford conducted electroplating operations and disposed of the resulting electroplating sludge in on-site landfills, known as the Eastern Containment Unit (ECU) and Western Containment Unit (WCU). The landfills were closed in place and capped in 1999 and no longer receive any wastes, however, Ford maintains obligations for operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities, regulated by a hazardous waste post-closure permit, which is currently being reviewed for renewal. Ford currently uses the former manufacturing building as a storage warehouse. Ford previously generated and disposed of chrome plating waste on-site. PFAS were used in many historical chrome plating operations.

This facility is next to River Raisin, which flows to the southeast. Groundwater flows roughly radially, toward nearby surface waters.

Content posted October 2022.

EGLE's well data shows a few private wells roughly a half mile to the south and west of the facility, but they are not drinking water wells. For additional information on residential well testing and results, visit the Frequently Asked Questions. Surrounding residents are on municipal water from the city of Monroe. EGLE has sampled all municipal water supplies for PFAS.

EGLE is working with Ford to conduct additional sampling around the monitoring wells that had exceedances and determine whether contaminated groundwater is venting into the surrounding surface waters.