Advocates call for action after spills in Warren, Downriver
What does a white corrosive fluid emanating from the ground at the former McLouth Steel site in Riverview have in common with an electroplating chemical spill in Warren?
To advocates who gathered Thursday afternoon for a press conference near the Detroit River at Meyer Ellias Park in Trenton, both incidents make it abundantly clear that companies causing these types of environmental disasters need to be held accountable.
The advocates, who come from various communities across southeast Michigan, said their intention was to shine a light on the two separate pollution sites at these industrial facilities and to urge state lawmakers to pass a package of “polluter pay” bills that would force those who cause pollution to pay the cost of cleaning it up, removing the burden from taxpayers.
Both of these unrelated incidents occurred at around the same time earlier this month. The first was an electroplating chemical spill that turned the Bear Creek drain in Warren a bright
turquoise color.
Officials said the drain was flooded with plating waste and debris after a water line at Fini-Finish Metal Finishing broke on Feb. 7, releasing more than a half a million gallons into the shop and storm sewers.
Warren (District 5) Councilman Hal Newnan, one of the advocates at the press conference, said this spill shouldn’t have occurred.
“From Macomb County to Downriver, the pollution that our communities are facing is just the latest proof point for how corporate polluters have evaded accountability for too long,” he said. “The fact that in Warren we’re dealing with 580,000 gallons of toxic waste dumped into Bear Creek should set off an alarm at the highest levels. Lansing lawmakers must step up and pass the polluter pay package, because the status quo is unacceptable. This was preventable, and Michiganders deserve better.”
At the former McLouth Steel property in Riverview, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy officials said “corrosive, milky liquids” had been observed and tested over “recent weeks” in the area of Payne and West Jefferson avenues, near a new railroad crossing.
“EGLE is working with property owner Riverview Trenton Railroad Co. and local governments to understand the situation, minimize any risks to public health and the environment, and halt the release of the contaminants,” EGLE said in a statement.
According to the National Library of Medicine, exposure to PCBs suppresses the immune system, thereby increasing the risk of acquiring several diseases.
The package of bills the advocates referred to were introduced as House Bills 5241-5247 and Senate Bills 605-611. According to Christy McGillivray, political and legislative director of Sierra Club Michigan, they would set robust requirements for environmental cleanups, enhance transparency into cleanup sites, prevent new orphan sites from being created, and empower those impacted by pollution to pursue justice.
“It’s a concept that most folks should have learned in preschool: if you make a mess, you should be responsible for cleaning it up,” McGillivray said. “Corporate polluters and their allies in Lansing have their eye on shareholder profits and their campaign coffers instead of the health of Michiganders. Polluter pay is a slam-dunk win for lawmakers that prioritizes voters over campaign contributions, and we hope passing these bills will be a priority in Lansing this year. ”