The City of Detroit says it’s using explosives to demolish the city’s incinerator smoke stack. The stack will be taken down early morning on Sunday, June 11.
Tyrone Clifton is the Director of the Detroit Building Authority. He has oversight of the demolition.
Some neighbors are concerned that leftover contaminants such as “dioxins, furans, and other cancer-causing” agents will be released in the dust of the explosion.
“We’re confident that we’ve remediated anything that may have been hazardous left in that stack,” Clifton said.
In addition, he said large units that spray a mist of water into the air will be in operation to keep dust levels down.
The organizer of the group Breathe Free Detroit fought to get the incinerator shut down. KT Morelli is still concerned despite the city’s assurances.
“It’s really hard for us to trust the city to protect residents during this demolition of a smokestack that has been burning waste for over 33 years.”
Clifton said nearby facilities such as the county jail have been notified of the demolition.
“And also working with the Department of Neighborhoods to make sure that anything else, when it comes to residents, have been notified and let them know what’s going on,” Clifton said.
Community leaders were first notified on May 26 by email. But, many residents don’t have access to the internet.
Morelli said she only knows about notices which don’t have the City of Detroit’s letterhead that were given to a board member of her group by a city official.
“He just dropped off 65 fliers to one of our board members and told us to deliver them ourselves.”
Morelli said there are 200 homes in the neighborhood.
