HEALTH CONSULTATION
GROUNDWATER - RESIDENTIAL WELLS
BENDIX CORPORATION/ALLIED AUTOMOTIVE
ST. JOSEPH, BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN
The groundwater in a plume under a residential area near the Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive NPL site contains various volatile organic chemicals, including 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride, at concentrations that might pose health hazards if the water is used for household purposes, based on the maximum concentrations found in monitoring wells. Several private household wells in the area have been sampled, and water from the wells had much lower quantities of the same chemicals or are no longer known to be used for household purposes. Other residential wells located in the plume are currently no longer is use but have never been sampled, though they were taken out of use after the contamination plume probably reached their locations. Most residences in the area are connected to the municipal water system. The contaminants in the groundwater include several probable or known carcinogens, such as 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride, and exposure might result in adverse health effects after long latency periods.
Residents of the area might also be exposed to volatile contaminants that have evaporated out of
the groundwater and migrated to their basements. Direct leakage into the basements is unlikely,
since the water table is far below the typical basement. There is no data and no way to estimate the concentrations.
Sample all private wells in the area, whether they are in use or not, to further establish the location of the contaminant plume and provide some information on the residents' exposure history.
All private wells in the area should be properly abandoned and all residences connected to the municipal water system, to reduce the likelihood of future exposure.
Offer residents of the area, especially long-term residents, and their physicians information on the potential health impact from their possible past exposure to groundwater contaminants.
Sample the air in any basement in the neighborhood for the VOC contaminants.
If any citizen has additional information or health concerns regarding the groundwater near the
Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive site, please contact the Michigan Department of
Community Health, Environmental Epidemiology Division, at 1-800-648-6942.
- Michigan Department of Public Health, for ATSDR. Interim Preliminary Health Assessment for Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive. February 14, 1992.
- Keck Consulting Services, Hydrogeological Study, Final Investigation, Bendix Chassis and Brake Components Division, Allied Automotive, Section 10, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan, June 13, 1986
- Draft Technical Memorandum, Results of Phase I Remedial Investigation, 1990.
- Keck Consulting Services, Hydrogeological Investigation, Summary Report, Bendix Hydraulics Division, Section 10, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan, June 21, 1982
- Ecology and Environment, Inc., for U.S. EPA, Preliminary Assessment, St. Joseph/Bendix Corporation, Hydraulics Division, March 2, 1983
- Keck Consulting Services, Report of Ground-Water Sampling, Bendix Chassis and Brake Components Division, Allied Automotive, Section 10, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan, January 7, 1988
- Keck Consulting Services, September, 1988 Report of Ground-Water Sampling, Allied-Signal, Inc., Bendix Automotive Brake Systems - North America, Section 10, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan, November 30, 1988
- Bosch Braking Systems. Draft results of private well-use survey. August 26, 1997.
- Kerr, G., Bosch Braking Systems. Letter to K. Glatz, U.S. EPA, subject: Transmittal of Residential Groundwater Results. September 19, 1997.
- Burrant, C., St. Joseph Department of Public Works. Personal communication. December 3, 1997.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethane, Update. ATSDR/TP-93/06. May 1994.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene, Update. September 1997.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Vinyl Chloride, Update. September 1997.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 1,1-Dichloroethane. ATSDR/TP-90/12. December 1990.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 1,1-Dichloroethene, Update. ATSDR/TP-93/07. May 1994.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethene, Update. August 1996.
- Harmon, B., MDEQ. Personal communication. December 12, 1997.
- Howard, A.J., MDEQ ERD. Draft Memorandum to ERD staff, Subject: Interim Generic Utility Worker Contact Criteria: Addendum to Interim Operational Memoranda #8, Revision 4 (June 5, 1995) and #14, Revision 2 (June 6, 1995). April 12, 1996.
- Little, J.C. Applying the Two-Resistance Theory to Contaminant Volatilization in Showers. Environ. Sci. Technol., 26(7), 1341-1349. 1992.
Michigan Department of Community Health
- John Filpus, Environmental Engineer
Robin Freer, Resource Specialist
James Bedford, Environmental Toxicologist
Brendan Boyle, Principal Investigator
ATSDR Regional Representative
Louise Fabinski
Regional Services, Region V
Office of the Assistant Administrator
ATSDR Technical Project Officer
William Greim
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Superfund Site Assessment Branch
The Bendix Corporation/Allied Automotive Groundwater - Residential Wells Health Consultation was prepared by the Michigan Department of Community Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the health consultation was initiated.
William Greim
Technical Project Officer, SPS, SSAB, DHAC
The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this health consultation and concurs with its findings.
Richard Gillig
Chief, SPS, SSAB, DHAC, ATSDR
