Fennville, Birds Eye seek water solution

Fri, Jul 3, 2009    to del.icio.us

FENNVILLE — A day after residents were asked to join a new lawsuit against Birds Eye Foods, the fruit processor in Fennville said it is working to help extend city water to areas with contaminated wells.

The city of Fennville is seeking $4 million of stimulus money to improve its water system.

"The city of Fennville has long had an outstanding working relationship with Birds Eye Foods and looks forward to continuing that relationship," said Mayor Dan Rastall in a press release.

The announcement came the day after about 100 people met with attorneys working with environmentalist Erin Brockovich. They have threatened a lawsuit.

Another group of residents has already filed a federal suit against Birds Eye.

The issue involves elevated levels of arsenic, iron and manganese in well water at homes east of Fennville. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says Birds Eye is the source. The company has denied it is the source and is supplying affected residents with bottled drinking water.

In the move that would help residents, the city, the townships of Manlius and Clyde, and Birds Eye are looking at a grant to cover the cost of connecting more properties to the city's water system.

The request for $4 million is through the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to improve the city's water system by installing an iron removal system and extending the service area.

The city is in the final stages of gathering information for the application, said Gary Tuhacek, head of Fennville's public works department.

Fennville's water system now serves about 500 homes from four wells. Tuhacek estimates that about 150 homes in the contamination area would be added. The city's water — though clear of the contamination that has impacted the private wells — still has problems, according to Robert Bowcock, an adviser to Brockovich.

The city recently issued its annual water quality report that says the water is safe to drink.

Birds Eye is planning for a $3.5 million upgrade to its own wastewater treatment system, according to Lois Warlick-Jarvie, senior vice president administration for the company.

Birds Eye employs 280 full-time and seasonal employees at its facility at 100 Sherman St. in Fennville. The company buys fruit from more than 100 area growers.

The city of Fennville move to get $4 million of stimulus money would address a significant food industry problem, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

"In recent years, many Michigan food processors have faced a common problem that is inhibiting their growth, and in some cases is threatening their very viability," the MEDC wrote in its report.

The cleaning and preparing of the food takes millions of gallons of water.

"These companies are now facing actions from regulatory bodies to dispose of this wastewater without adversely affecting the environment," the report said. Without improvements and a place to handle their waste, the companies "will not continue investing in Michigan if the cloud of wastewater-related regulatory action continues to threaten the viability of their operations."

The report noted the project proposed by the city will create 20 full-time construction jobs, improve water services to an area with low- or moderate-income people, and allow fruit processor Birds Eye to continue operations in the city and possibly expand.