Dingell Statement on EPA Agreement with Gelman Sciences to Address Contaminated Aquifer in Ann Arbor

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s legal agreement with Gelman Sciences LLC to address 1,4-dioxane contamination in Scio Township and the City of Ann Arbor and establish the responsibilities for long-term remedial planning and near-term response actions. "This agreement between the EPA and Gelman Sciences is a major step forward in addressing the decades-long contamination of our community's drinking water and environment. After six decades of advocacy from residents, local officials, and community leaders, we are seeing meaningful action to advance the cleanup of the Gelman site. This agreement establishes responsibilities for critical cleanup work, strengthens federal oversight, and moves us closer to the long-term restoration of the groundwater. "Washtenaw County has lived with the impacts of 1,4-dioxane contamination for far too long. This will help accelerate the investigation and cleanup of the contamination, reduce the spread of the groundwater plume, and provide the community with additional resources to better understand the work ahead. This progress reflects the persistence of a community that has never stopped fighting for safe drinking water and accountability. "I want to thank the EPA for their continued work and attention to this issue and for taking action to move this forward. I have spent years working with residents, federal, state, and local officials to ensure the Gelman plume receives the oversight and resources it deserves, and I will continue that work until the job is done. I will continue working with the EPA, state and local partners, and the community to ensure this cleanup is transparent, Gelman Sciences is held accountable, and residents have safe drinking water. Our communities deserve nothing less." The agreement, known as an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent, requires Gelman Sciences to: Conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study which will determine the nature and extent of the contamination and evaluate potential cleanup approaches. Excavate soils contaminated with 1,4-dioxane from the former burn pit area on Gelman’s property. Increase the groundwater extraction and treatment rates in the eastern groundwater plume to reduce the spread of groundwater contamination. Install additional groundwater monitoring wells to further define the easternmost extent of 1,4-dioxane groundwater contamination. Provide grant funding for community groups to hire an independent technical advisor to help interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, and the EPA’s proposed actions. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell has long advocated for the Gelman dioxane plume to be designated as a Superfund site. For years, she has worked with federal, state, and local officials to push for stronger oversight, accountability, and resources to protect drinking water and public health. In 2023, Dingell announced the plume had been deemed eligible by the EPA for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). In 2024, the EPA proposed adding Gelman Sciences to the NPL. On March 12, 2026, the EPA formally added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List, marking a major milestone in Dingell’s longstanding effort to secure federal oversight and resources for the cleanup. Today’s agreement builds on that progress, establishing a path forward for critical response actions and long-term remediation.