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County approves access agreement tied to $15 million PFAS grant after methane found on site
Summary
Muskegon County authorized a site-access agreement with Windward Point acquisition entities so state-funded PFAS cleanup and newly identified methane investigations can proceed; the county is grantee for about $15 million and will act as pass-through for developer invoices.
Muskegon County commissioners voted to authorize a site-access agreement with Windward Point Acquisition 3 LLC and Windward Point Acquisition 4 LLC so work funded by a state grant can proceed on a contaminated parcel.
Public Works Director Vanabotch told the board the county is the grantee for roughly $15,000,000 in state funds originally intended to address PFAS contamination, and that methane has since been identified as an additional contaminant of concern. "The county has received about $15,000,000 [in grant funds]," Vanabotch said, adding the county must hold an access agreement with the current property owner because the county is not the property owner but is the grant recipient.
Vanabotch said the county's role is administrative: the developer and its team perform the work, invoice the county, and the county pays invoices from grant proceeds. He described the arrangement as a common pass-through model used statewide for local grantees. "We approve their work plans before they go to the state," he said.
Commissioners asked why there are two acquisition entities; Vanabotch said his assumption was the developer is phasing the project and cautioned he did not know all ownership details. The board discussed oversight and noted state requirements for grantees include an access agreement when the grantee is not the property owner.
The motion authorizing the board chair to sign the site-access agreement passed by voice vote. Staff said the county retains administrative oversight of developer requests to the state and will monitor the scope of investigation, remediation plans and invoicing tied to the grant.
Next steps: staff will finalize the access agreement with the property owner and proceed with state-required documentation so investigative work on PFAS and methane can begin under the grant terms.
