Verburg Park closes for Kalamazoo PCB removal

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the removal of PCB-contaminated sediment within Verburg Park Pond and along the banks of the Kalamazoo River.

As a result of this work, Verburg Park will be closed starting this week, through April 2023.

Throughout this project, EPA will be coordinating with Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Portions of the Kalamazoo River will need to be avoided by the public during construction, said EPA.

Restoration of Verburg Park will be completed as construction finishes in December 2022, but it is likely that some restoration may occur in spring 2023. 

The boat launch nearby at Mayors Riverfront Park is not in a usable condition currently due to the amount of sediment built up, MLive reports.

The launch will be undergoing repairs in the next few weeks to make the launch more secure and usable as a boat launch. The repairs will be done before any PCB removal can begin at Verburg Park.