CHICAGO, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 said today that it has completed its cleanup of the Cannelton Industries, Inc., Superfund site, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. A community meeting will be held tonight, 5:30 p.m., McKinley Elementary School, 2023 W. 4th Ave. Guided tours of the site will follow a brief presentation. Residents should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring mosquito repellant. The site gate will close promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Representatives from EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, City of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and Phelps Dodge will attend the meeting and be available to answer questions about the project.

The site, covering about 75 acres, is near the Canadian border on the shore of the St. Mary's River, about a mile upstream of the Soo Locks and 1.5 miles west of downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

The Northwestern Leather Co. operated a tannery on the property from 1900 to 1958. Late in 1958, after the plant closed, it was destroyed by fire. The plant had a limited sewerage system and tannery waste, including animal hair, scrap hide, tree bark, and various chemicals, was discharged into pipes and open ditches along the western shore of the river.

The approximately $5 million cleanup, paid for by Phelps Dodge with EPA oversight and assisted by the Army Corps' Soo District, began in May 1999, with EPA analysis and engineering studies beginning in 1989.

The cleanup included work in five areas of the site. Highlights of the project include:

-- Excavation of 33,000 tons of tannery waste materials and contaminated soils from the barren zone, western shoreline, and southern shoreline of Tannery Bay;

-- Regrading and landscaping of the western shoreline, and as needed, in the barren zone, plus seeding and mulching to revegetate the western shoreline and barren zone;

-- Construction of a surface drainage system and replacement of the shoreline berm to prevent erosion along the barren zone, and construction of a stabilization berm along the southern shoreline of Tannery Bay;

-- Construction of a water-treatment system to handle the more than 3 million gallons of water that was discharged to the St. Mary's River; and

-- Installation of air-monitoring equipment and dust-control measures to reduce effects on homes and businesses near the site.

Phelps Dodge, under EPA oversight, will carry out long-term monitoring of the entire site, including biological monitoring of Tannery Bay, to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

"After many years of planning and discussion with a large and diverse group of stakeholders, it's good to see completion of this major cleanup," said regional Superfund director William Muno. "We expect to work closely with Phelps Dodge, MDEQ, and the community on long-term site monitoring. EPA will continue to support the City of Sault Ste. Marie in its efforts to redevelop the site."