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Zellar Residuals Management Area (Manistique, Schoolcraft County)

Disclaimer: Web content may not be routinely updated on this page.

Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of this site.

EGLE site lead

Mary Ann St Antoine, StAntoineM@Michigan.gov or 989-370-8035.

Waste Disposal Questions

Please note that this landfill is CLOSED and does not accept waste. 

Background

Zellar Residuals Management Area is a closed landfill that was not licensed; it operated in the 1980s to the late 1990s. The landfill received paper pulp waste from Manistique Papers, Inc. (now U.P. Paper, LLC), which processed recycled paper. The landfill was not capped when it was closed. Paper pulp waste from this era often contained PFAS chemicals. EGLE requested PFAS sampling of the Residuals Management Area because pulp waste is often high in PFAS chemicals, and the landfill is unlined and has had historical impacts to groundwater.

Groundwater flow is to the north-northeast and there are no downgradient residential drinking water wells. There are several upgradient residential wells. A groundwater sample collected from an upgradient monitoring well was non-detect for PFAS. Gould's Slough and the Manistique River are downgradient from the landfill. A surface water sample was taken from Gould's Slough, with results of 9.2 ppt PFOA, which is below water quality standards.

Content posted March 2021.

Site map

See an aerial view of the location of the site.

Expand the map

Drinking water

No residential wells are downgradient of the landfill.

Anticipated activities

Zellar Residual Management Area will continue groundwater monitoring of the landfill.

Historical timeline

    • On November 9, 2020, the Residuals Management Area consultant, Bittner Engineering, Inc., collected groundwater samples from monitoring wells OB-13 and MW-4R.  A surface water sample was also collected from Gould's Slough.
    • On December 14, 2020, EGLE received the results of the November 9, 2020, sampling event at the Residuals Management Area.  Upgradient monitoring well MW-4R was non-detect for PFAS.  Downgradient monitoring well OB-13's results included 72 ppt PFOS and 590 ppt FOA. Other PFAS analytes were detected in this sample, but there are no federal or state standards for these analytes. The surface water sample collected at Gould's Slough had 9.2 ppt PFOA, which is under the state surface water criteria.

    Sampling Results Summary

    Type of Sample

    Date Sampled (or Range)

    Numberof Sample Results Received

    Number of Samples above Criteria*

    Groundwater Monitoring Wells

    November 9, 2020 2 1
    Surface Water November 9, 2020 1 0
    *Residential well and groundwater monitoring well results are compared to EGLE Part 201 criteria for 7 PFAS compounds effective 12/21/2020:  PFOS (16 ppt), PFOA (8 ppt), PFNA (6 ppt), PFHxS (51 ppt), PFHxA (400,000 ppt), PFBS (420 ppt), and HFPO-DA (370 ppt).

    * Surface water samples are compared to Rule 57 non-drinking water values of 12 ppt for PFOS and 12,000 ppt for PFOA

    Sampling Notes

    • None at this time.