BENTON HARBOR, MI — Inspectors found a toxic “forever chemical” leaking inside a shuttered industrial building in 2009.

Now, the state is committing $2.6 million to turn the abandoned property into a “catalyst” for redevelopment and economic opportunity in Benton Harbor, per a press release.

Modern Plastics manufactured plastic components for the automotive industry on the site until 2008, per the release.

The 10-acre property sits less than 2 miles east of the Lake Michigan Shoreline, wedged between the Harbor Shores development, Benton Harbor’s Art District and Ox Creek.

The campus included offices, manufacturing operations, warehousing space and raw material storage.

EPA inspectors found oil stained floors, asbestos materials and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) leaking from transformers throughout the building in 2009.

PCBs are environmentally-persistent carcinogenic chemicals that don’t break down — instead, they build up in water and soil.

Humans can absorb PCBs through skin contact with contaminated soil or by consuming contaminated fish, according to the CDC.

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) will work with city leaders on the cleanup and safe removal of the blighted structure.

The city and a nonprofit redevelopment organization will guide future land use, per the release.

“This project marks another step forward in improving environmental safety and protecting public health for communities across the state,” said Phil Roos, EGLE director.

The work is a milestone in the community-driven Ox Creek Corridor Restoration and Revitalization project, per the release.

Launched in 2021, the project aims to restore water quality for wildlife, recreation and development along the waterway, per its website.

Plans include bike paths, lighted walkways, pedestrian bridges, outdoor learning spaces, commercial development and housing, per the release.

A trail along the creek will link the city’s downtown with the Benton Charter Township’s commercial and retail area.

“Water is at the heart of where and how we live as a community and interact with nature,” said Dane Rasmussen, city waterfront restoration and revitalization project manager. “Developing an inviting pedestrian corridor along this waterway … will create new opportunities for enrichment.”

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