bendix corp./allied automotive

3737 RED ARROW HIGHWAY

The Bendix Superfund Site is located approximately four miles south of the city of St. Joseph at 3737 Red Arrow Highway in Berrien County, Michigan. The contamination emanates from two source areas located within the boundaries of the former Bendix Automotive plant, now owned and operated by Bosch Braking Systems. During the plant’s history, the chlorinated solvents tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) were discharged to unlined lagoons, allowing the contaminants to infiltrate vertically and migrate laterally from the source areas. These source areas are approximately one-half mile east of the Lake Michigan shore and one-quarter mile west of Hickory Creek. The topography at the site is generally flat and covered by buildings and pavement, but to the west the land surface slopes toward Lake Michigan, and to the east it slopes toward Hickory Creek, creating a hydrogeological divide. This divide causes the groundwater from the source areas to flow either west to Lake Michigan or east to Hickory Creek. The surface geology and water table aquifer are composed of permeable, course-grained, glacial deposits that allow rapid infiltration and groundwater flow. There are some 750 homes within three miles of the site, but all residences within the affected area receive water from the city of St. Joseph’s municipal water system.