Violations Discovered At Detroit Waste Processing Facility
DETROIT (AP) - Great Lakes Water Authority records show a hazardous waste processing facility in Detroit has released excessive amounts of mercury, arsenic, cyanide and other toxic chemicals into the city sewer system over 150 times since September 2010.
The Detroit Free Press reports waste management service US Ecology is allowed to put pretreated chemical waste into the sewer system under strict requirements.
The records show frequent, and sometimes alarming, violations of permitted maximum discharges of at least 20 hazardous chemicals or metals. The violations were discovered during inspections by the authority or self-reported by US Ecology.
The records also show the company almost never provided a required written explanation to Water Authority officials.
US Ecology spokesman David Crumrine said in an email that instances of discharge excess aren't frequent and ones that do occur tend to be minor.
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