cannelton industries, inc.

ADDRESS UNREPORTED

The Cannelton Industries, Inc. ("Cannelton") Superfund site covers 75 acres along the St. Marys River in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. The Northwestern Leather Company had operated a tannery and processed animal hides at the Cannelton site from 1900 to 1958. Waste materials from the tannery operations were discharged through three main drains to a low-lying shoreline area. Barrels and general wastes were burned and disposed of along the river. In 1958, a fire damaged many of the tannery buildings, nearly all of which have since been torn down. The site has been unused since the tannery burned in 1958 and is presently vacant. A portion of the site is located within the 100-year flood plain of the St. Mary's River. Soils, sediments, and surface water in the St. Marys River were contaminated with heavy metals, including chromium, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. Approximately 14,700 people live in Sault Sainte Marie. The current land use surrounding the site is residential and light industrial. There are approximately 400 single-family residences located within one-half mile of the site boundary. The former McKinley Elementary School, now the McKinley Manor Assisted Living facility, is located 100 feet south of the western portion of the site. The nearby residences and facilities are connected to the city's municipal water system. EPA placed the Cannelton site on the National Priorities List (NPL) on August 30, 1990.