Honeywell Tests For Possible Contamination In Soil, Groundwater

August 3, 2010 - For years, residents and city officials have wondered what may have leaked from industrial sites in Spring Valley near St. Anthony’s Church. Now, the site’s current owners have begun testing soil and groundwater near the site to find out — but residents remain in the dark.

The city council on Monday approved a request from MACTEC Engineering and Consulting Inc. of Traverse City, Mich. to complete up to eight soil borings in the Ladd Road right-of-way in the vicinity of Third and Fourth streets. That's a short distance from the Honeywell plant (formerly known as Hobbs) and the location of former Bassick plating operations at U.S. 6/Route 89 and Strong Avenue. Before 2002, the neighboring sites were a single piece of property owned by the same company.

On Monday, city superintendent John Schultz told the city council that the current owner of the Honeywell property had performed tests in a roadside ditch near the property and had found some contaminants. City engineer Jack Kusek said this morning the tests are "just part of their ongoing testing program." The company wanted to test the Ladd Road right-of-way "to keep checking how well they’re cleaning up the groundwater," Schultz said.

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