Government representatives heard community worries -- voiced emotionally, in some cases -- at a public briefing on the toxic mess around the notorious Electro-Plating Services metalwork plant in Madison Heights
"People have a legitimate right to be concerned. I'm concerned as well," Oakland County Executive David Coulter said at Monday night's forum, according to WXYZ.
Many people wanted to know why the EPA didn't do more to stop ... continued pollution and improper chemical storage when the [federal] agency was tipped off back in 2016.
An EPA spokesperson explained Monday that the agency's main task in 2016 was to eliminate immediate safety hazards, not to investigate soil or groundwater contamination. The site did not meet the federal standards to quality as an EPA Superfund site.
Contractors for the Environmental Protection Agency have removed more than 63,000 gallons of contaminated liquid at the East 10 Mile Road site, attendees were told.
The event at Madison High School, a mile from the neon-colored toxic ooze first noticed Dec. 20 alongside I-696, was scheduled for two hours and "went an additional 30 minutes due to the high volume of questions," Jenn Schanz reports (video below). Participants included representatives of the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
"Don't tell me it's not going to affect my property value. I don't believe it," said one of the meeting's attendees.
Other than property values, people expressed concern about their health, and, if Sayers is in prison, who will be held responsible for the future of the site and it's costs.
"They’re not answering the questions about what’s going to happen in the future. Who’s going to pay for this continued issue of pollution in our state," said Jamesa Johnson.
