The Subject Property consisted of residential development on the north and south portion and vacant land from at least 1911 to the early 1930s, when a laundry and automotive sales shop were present near the center, and a gasoline filling station with a gasoline underground storage tank (UST) was present on the north portion. The remainder of the Subject Property consisted of grass-covered or paved land. By 1981, the structures on the south portion of the Subject Property were no longer present, and a commercial structure was present on the southeast portion. In 1999, the structures on the north portion of the Subject Property were no longer present and the area consisted of paved land. Between the 1930s and 2022, the commercial development on the Subject Property consisted of a laundry, a dry-cleaning operation, a gasoline filling station, an automobile rental and sales company, and a hardware store. According to the Subject Property owner, the contents of a 10,000-gallon trichloroethane UST located beneath the structure on the Subject Property were removed and the UST had been closed-in-place with flowable concrete in 1994. The Sturgis Municipal Wells National Priority List (NPL) site was located southeast and southwest of the Subject Property. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the groundwater exceeding applicable standards were reported on the site, and in the 1990s, the Subject Property owner was named as a defendant in a lawsuit along with several other local companies alleging that contamination from the Subject Property was migrating off the Subject Property and impacting the city drinking water wells. SME reviewed laboratory data provided by the Subject Property owner and identified various VOCs in the soil and groundwater above Part 201 criteria; however, no maps or formal reports identifying sample locations were provided. At the time of the site reconnaissance, the Subject Property was developed with a hardware store, a shed, and parking lot. The remainder of the Subject Property consisted of grass covered land. The interior of the hardware store consisted of retail space, offices, restrooms, a break area, and a machine shop area. Multiple 5-gallon or less containers of pesticides, herbicides, motor oil, hydraulic oil, gasoline, and household cleaners were observed in the retail area and restrooms. A 55-gallon drum of cutting oil was observed in the machine shop area. Stained concrete floor was observed throughout the machine shop area and near the floor drain and trench drain in the machine shop area.
Surrounding areas consisted primary of residential development with grass-covered land to the south and a storefront and gasoline UST to the east from at least 1911 to the 1930s, when a gasoline filling station with three gasoline USTs and a church were present to the east. The Subject Property was bordered by West Main Street, North Nottawa Street, and Washington Street to the south, east, and north, respectively. By 1974, commercial development was present to the south and in 1986, the area to the north consisted of paved parking lot. Between the 1930s and 2022, the commercial development in the surrounding area consisted of a church, a gasoline filling station, an advertising company, a washer repair company, municipal offices, an appliance repair company, a grocer, and an automobile repair facility. At the time of the site reconnaissance, the surrounding area consisted of residential development to the west, paved parking lot to the north, residential development and vacant commercial development to the east, and an automobile repair facility to the south.
This assessment has revealed the following recognized environmental conditions in connection with the Subject Property:
* The potential for releases of contaminants to the subsurface via the floor drain and trench drain in the machine shop area.
* The potential for the release of contaminants associated with the former use of the Subject Property as a dry