EPA at Work in Detroit and Downriver Communities in MI - Air
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Detroit East Side Air Quality Community Project
During the summer of 2022, the EPA began a community-based project in partnership with Michigan EGLE to improve air quality on the east side of Detroit. While southwest Detroit has long been the focus of environmental justice advocates, recent developments on the east side have led to increased concerns from residents. The goals of this project are to engage with the community on air issues and, together, achievable measurable environmental results. EPA has met with several community stakeholders to assess concerns and interests, including City of Detroit staff. Concerns include violations at the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant, truck traffic, dust from demolitions, indoor air quality concerns from flooding, a desire for increased air monitoring, and disappointment with the level of community input considered when Supplemental Environmental Projects are chosen by violating companies for enforcement settlement agreements. The following sections summarize accomplishments and milestones since the project began.
Enforcement
The EPA and EGLE air enforcement staff performed 18 compliance inspections in the area, which resulted in the issuance of Findings of Violation to Hoover Treated Wood Products (pdf) , Strong Steel Products (pdf) , and Alco Products (pdf) . The EPA is working with these companies to correct the compliance issues identified during the inspections. Below is a list of the facilities we inspected.
- Aevitas Specialty Services (663 Lycaste Street)
- Ajax Metal Processing, Inc. (4651 Bellevue Street)
- Alco NVC, Inc. (580 St. Jean Street)
- Arco Alloys Corp. (1891 Trombly Street)
- City Recycling (1943 Mack Avenue)
- EQ Detroit (dba US Ecology – Detroit South) (1923 Frederick Street)
- Ferrous Processing and Trading Corp. (1950 Medbury Avenue)
- Fitzgerald Finishing LLC (17450 Filer Street)
- Gallagher-Kaiser Corp. (13710 Mount Elliott Street)
- General Motors LLC Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly (2500 East Grand Boulevard)
- Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc. (7500 East Davison Street)
- Jo Mar Enterprises, Inc. (7489 East Davison Street)
- McNichols Scrap Iron & Metal (6500 East McNichols Road)
- RIM Custom Racks (6501 East McNichols Road)
- Sterling Services (1530 Commor Street)
- Strong Steel Products (6464 Strong Street)
- Superior Metal Finishing (3510 East McNichols Road)
- US Ecology Michigan, Inc. (Detroit North) – Dynecol, Inc. (6520 Georgia Street)
Detroit Environmentally Beneficial Project List
EPA, EGLE, and the City of Detroit launched the Detroit Environmentally Beneficial Project List in 2024. These three agencies are working together to collect ideas for environmentally beneficial projects from community members, compile and categorize them, and disseminate the list when funding becomes available, such as through grants, Supplemental Environmental Projects, or Detroit’s local Community Benefits Ordinance. This project was the direct result of conversations with community advocates, the City of Detroit, and EGLE.
Stellantis
A second air pollution control device, called a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer, was installed at the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant. The RTO began operating in July 2023 under a consent order issued by EGLE.
Grant Awards
EPA awarded American Rescue Plan grants to three organizations to conduct air quality monitoring and public outreach activities in the Detroit area.
- The Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America Michigan Chapter will enhance Detroit’s ambient air quality network by deploying sensors to Detroiters ages 60 and older with respiratory distress/asthma symptoms. Recipients will track outdoor and indoor pollutant data, display sensors’ output on web dashboards, perform analysis, and engage residents on air quality issues, impacts, and interpretation of real-time sensor data and trends.
- The City of Detroit will establish the city’s first comprehensive air pollution monitoring network with near-real time reporting. Data collected from the network will be used to educate Detroit’s citizens and policy makers and expand network parameters while targeting areas of highest impact.
- The Green Door Initiative will expand the existing network of multi-pollutant community-scale sensors in Detroit, engage Detroiters in a community air advisory group to ensure the community has a voice in air monitoring, and build community capacity and knowledge to use and apply local-scale, real-time air quality information.
Additionally, EPA funded a small grant to Wayne State University to address indoor air quality in homes that had experienced flooding in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood of Detroit. Following training, AmeriCorps Climate READY members completed mitigation measures to address mold and reduce water intrusion. Measures included suppling dehumidifiers and air purifiers, providing platforms to raise basement items off the floor, repairing foundation cracks, grading soil to direct water away from the home, and extending gutter downspouts. AmeriCorps Climate READY members revisited participants after the measures were taken to share information about protecting respiratory health from home-associated mold and moisture concerns.
Clean Diesel
Over the last 10 years, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision and itsproject partners have received EPA clean diesel grants totaling over $10 million to reduce diesel emissions in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. By reducing diesel emissions and investing in clean energy technology, we are helping to ensure a healthier environment and a stronger economy for future generations. Additional information on Diesel Reduction Act Funding.
Energy Star
In January 2021, EPA partnered with the Detroit 2030 District to host a House of Worship Energy Star Treasure Hunt Competition to find opportunities to save energy and fight climate change. The competition also included internal water and wastewater reduction strategies. Six local churches participated in the 6-month friendly rivalry to make improvements in their worship facilities and benchmark their monthly energy use with EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool. Throughout the competition, churches received encouragement from coaches, tips on saving energy and funding opportunities from industry experts by way of monthly presentations. The competition culminated with a celebration and recognition from the Detroit 2030 District and EPA.
Enforcement
- In September 2020, EPA issued a Clean Air Act Notice of Violation to EES Coke Battery, LLC, River Rouge. The NOV alleges that EES Coke made changes at its coke oven battery that significantly increased emissions of sulfur dioxide. The increase in sulfur dioxide emissions also caused an increase in fine particulate matter emissions. EES Coke didn’t get the appropriate Michigan permits for the emissions increases, didn’t install appropriate pollution controls, and failed to report the increases.
- In 2016 EPA and the Department of Justice reached an agreement with Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Company that will reduce air pollution from the company’s petroleum refineries in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan and Ohio.
- EPA, MDEQ and DOJ settlement with US Steel results in emissions reductions and Supplemental Environmental Projects to benefit neighborhoods with $400,000 vegetative buffers in SW Detroit.
Research
EPA has been partnering with the City of Detroit on the Regional Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (RESES) Research Project, Improving Public Health through Urban and Roadside Vegetation. Detroit installed a roadside vegetative barrier in 2018 in Kemeny Park. The EPA has measured black carbon and nitrogen dioxide using air quality sensors and mobile air monitoring at the park before and after the vegetative barrier was installed. Intermittent air sensor monitoring will continue for several years as the vegetation grows. Detroit installed a vegetative barrier at Clark Park to add to this research effort. After EPA completes its field measurements, some of the black carbon and nitrogen dioxide air sensors will be available for the City and community to continue measurements at the site. In July 2016, EPA developed the report Recommendations for Constructing Roadside Vegetation Barriers to Improve Near-Road Air Quality which summarizes the research findings from this ongoing project in Detroit, as well as other studies in the US and abroad, and outlines the best practices for planting roadside vegetative barriers to improve local air quality. The recommendations can be used by states, communities and individuals interested in reducing roadside air pollution.