Trust fund established to clean up 53 old GM sites in Michigan

Posted: 10.20.2010 at 1:02 PM

(AP) -- WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says a $773-million trust has been established to clean up dozens of former General Motors sites in 14 states, including 53 in Michigan, left shuttered by the auto giant's bankruptcy.

The trust fund was proposed in May and will come from more than $1 billion provided by the Treasury Department to wind down the "bad" assets of GM set aside in the company's 2009 bankruptcy.

About two-thirds of the auto sites contain hazardous waste and will require an extensive cleanup.

About half of the sites covered by the trust fund are in Michigan. Others are located in Ohio, Indiana and New York.

Michigan, which has the largest number of properties in the trust, will receive funding to address cleanup in:

• Bay City - $3.5 million for one site
• Burton - $2.4 million for two sites
• Detroit - $183,000 for three sites
• Flint - $42.4 million for 9 sites, including just under $33 million for cleanup at Buick City
• Grand Blanc - $528,000 for one site
• Grand Rapids - $3.75 million for one site
• Lansing - $18.6 million for four sites
• Livonia - $8.5 million for three sites
• Pontiac - $13.9 million for 17 sites
• Romulus - $276,000 for one site
• Saginaw - $17.8 million for five sites
• Van Buren - $3.2 million for two sites
• Ypsilanti - $43.5 million for four sites, including $35.7 million for cleanup at Willow Run

The Detroit News is reporting that Buick City in Flint will be the first project funded through the program because EPA has already approved a cleanup plan for that site.

The News also reports that Michigan sites will get $159 million — the most of any state — to clean nearly 50 sites.