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« MDEQ MISLEADS ATTORNEY GENERAL | Main | SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL DISAVOWS MARSHALL REPORT »

Jul 15, 2004

TOXIC TOWERS IS SOURCE OF THE SOIL

Yesterday, July 14th, forensic geologist Robert Hayes analyzed the results of the MDEQ's testing of soil collected from the old Monroe Avenue Water Filtration Plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He found that that soil came from the site of the old Berkey & Gay furniture factory.North_monroe_map_1

A little background: Three years ago we had reported to the MDEQ that the developers of the Berkey & Gay project (formally now known as "The Boardwalk", less formally known as "Toxic Towers" by some of its lessees) had dumped about 20,000 cubic yards of contaminted soil at the Filtration Plant that they had excavated from grounds of the old factory. After the MDEQ's protracted refusal to collect hard evidence of our complaint, the Michigan Attorney General's office stepped earlier this year to order the MDEQ to test the soil of the Filtration Plant, which it did.

As I reported to you last week, the MDEQ's statistical analysis of the test results was consistent with our complaint that the soil had come from the Berkey & Gay site. However, MDEQ Deputy Director Jim Sygo, probably to cover his department's bureaucratic hide, decided to tell the Attorney General's office without any foundation that the statistical analysis in fact proved that the Berkey & Gay site was not the source of Filtration Plant soil.

Hayes has now completed his preliminary study of the data and has made the following sworn statement about the soil at the Filtration Plant:

"My analyses of data from both locations show relationships between soil samples from the B&G site and the WFP [i.e., Filtration Plant].

"Based on type, presence, absence, and/or concentrations of organic chemicals and metal contamination, it is my professional opinion that there is sufficient evidence to show similarities enough to warrant further investigation, if not positive correlation to show that soil at the WFP originated from the B&G property."

Hayes will be carrying out a complete study of the Filtration Plant soil tests which will be ready within the next few weeks.

Posted by Wm Tingley on Jul 15, 2004 at 03:51 PM in Project: Toxic Towers |

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