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But unless the MDEQ can find some funding, the work the department is doing may soon be halted.

Money at the Remediation and Redevelopment Division of the state environmental agency, which cleans up contaminated sites across the state, is running extremely low and to maintain operations, legislators will need to work some money in a supplemental budget for cleanup purposes. The money for the program has come from bonds passed in both 1988 and 1998.

"In order to keep the (400 clean up sites) operating at a bare minimum level and keep treatment systems running, with no major expansions we would need in the range $28 to $30 million per year," said MDEQ spokesperson Bob McCann. "Otherwise by the end of year we'll be out of money and we'll have to start shutting down these clean up programs. That's not something that's been done before so we don't know how it will work."

The state has not accepted any new sites for cleanup this year.

The clean up operations need the minimum amount from the legislature until 2010 when they will look to pass a new bond.

"That would keep programs alive at a very minimal level for two years until we can take another shot at a bond in 2010 to restore those programs back to full funding and full operation," McCann said.

One of the Remediation and Redevelopment division's largest projects is right here in Antrim County. The Trichloroethylene, or TCE, that was used as a cleaning solvent for heavy machinery and a vapor degreaser for automotive manufacturing at the former Wickes Manufacturing in Mancelona, has contaminated a large amount of groundwater in the county.

The TCE in the water affects drinking water and can harm the environment.

"The people in your area know well the threats these contaminated sites can have," McCann said. "If you stop working on it all the sudden that contamination is going to start to spread again and you're going to lose control of it. The consequences of that are significant from an environmental and public health standpoint."

The MDEQ has performed extensive studies on the plume and has poured money into installing and monitoring wells, testing the leakiness of underground sediment and clay and providing clean drinking water to those affected.

"With that specific project we spent millions of dollars just to eliminate the risk of people drinking contaminated water," McCann said. "There's a lot of work left on that site. We need to get that funding just to keep it going."

The state has to step in and clean sites up when companies that may have caused the contamination are out of business. These sites are called Brownfields, which are generally abandoned, idle or underused properties that cannot expand or redevelop because of environmental conditions, according the MDEQ Web site.

The Brownfield programs currently cost about $100 million per year, according to McCann.

McCann said money for the bond program will not be included in the regular fiscal year 2009 budget, but they are hoping it could be included in the supplemental budget when the state legislators return from summer recess.

"We're going to have to work with everyone involved, including state legislators to come up with some dollars to put in our budget to keep programs running," McCann said. "It's not going to be an easy task but it's an important one."

There are some that don't support the bond program, citing that perhaps clean ups need to run more efficiently and with less money in hard economic times.

But McCann contends that the program helps revitalize contaminated areas, and without it, economic growth could be hindered.

McCann said if the MDEQ can't pay the bills, it can't operate. But even if the money is low, the MDEQ would hope to restore it with a bond in 2010 and continue cleaning up places like Antrim County.

"No question (the TCE plume) is one of the largest ones and one of the most significant in terms of the environment and public health. Once we get full restoration of those dollars, we'll get back in there and take care of it," McCann said. "But just because we stop looking for two years doesn't mean the contamination will stop. We'll lose sight of where it's at."

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.