(WXYZ) — The Madison Heights City Council has approved a plan to demolish the Electro-Plating Services site that is known for leaking green ooze onto I-696.
According to the city, the contract was awarded to The Adams Group, and two grants totaling $750,000 will cover the cost of demolition.
In December 2019, green ooze was seen leaking onto I-696 in Madison Heights. It was found to be a highly toxic, cancer-causing chemical called hexavalent chromium.
It was coming from Electro-Plating Services in Madison Heights, and brought in EPA emergency teams.
Over the years, Gary Sayers, the owner and operator of Electro-Plating Services, racked up EPA violations. He even dug a pit in the basement to hold the toxic byproducts of the businesses, mainly Hexavalent Chromium, according to the EPA.
In 2020, the EPA removed more than 300,000 gallons of the contaminated liquid and installed an interceptor trench to prevent it from running into the storm drains.
In March 2021, crews began the final stage of the cleanup.
“Madison Heights is extremely thankful to all levels of government that have contributed to making this demolition possible, and for their support over the past two years during the cleanup efforts at the Electro-Plating Services site,” Mayor Roslyn Grafstein said. “The safety of our city’s residents is a concern for the entire region, and we’re happy to see that the City can depend on our elected officials at all levels to have our back when it’s most essential.”
