Multi-Phase Due Diligence Project for the Former TRW Facility Located in Sterling Heights, Macomb County, Michigan

PM Environmental, Inc. (PM) was retained to complete environmental due diligence for the purposes of purchasing a 80 acre property from Tier 1 Auto Supplier, TRW in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

The property was divided into two portions.  The eastern portion contained the building structures, which had been vacated by TRW after over 50 years of manufacturing operations.  The western portion contained a former waste oil lagoon system, which had been closed in the 1970’s and subsequently capped with an automotive test track.

PM’s initial site assessment activities consisted of the completion of Phase I ESAs for the eastern and western portions of the property.  Additionally, PM completed a pre-demolition inspection for asbestos containing materials, lead based paint, and hazardous materials, including mercury switches, transformers, residual chemicals, and regulated wastes, prior to demolition of the building.  Based on the long term industrial usages of the property, PM completed a Phase II ESA on the eastern and western portions of the property.  Analytical results documented that the properties were contaminated above current applicable cleanup criteria.

Based on the analytical results, PM completed Baseline Environmental Assessments for the properties.  PM also completed a Brownfield Plan for the redevelopment of the property, to capture the tax incentives for the proposed redevelopment.  Demolition activities were monitored for asbestos, lead based paint, hazardous materials/universal wastes and potential hazardous soil areas. 

Subsequent to the completion of these site assessment activities, the client determined that the western portion of the property, which was formerly slated to remain undeveloped and capped, would be critical to their redevelopment plan.  PM completed over 70 soil borings in the areas of the former waste oil lagoons to determine the extent and concentrations of contaminants.  Site assessment activities identified characteristically hazardous soil impact directly beneath the proposed location of a state of the art $60,000,000 R & D facility.

PM worked with the client and seller to design a feasible clean-up plan and oversee the clean-up.