The same Wixom company that dumped PFAs into the Huron River may be causing more damage with the release of a carcinogenic chemical into the sewer system. Monitoring continues to see if the contamination will reach Washtenaw County. Huron River Watershed Council executive director, Rebecca Esselman, joined WEMU's David Fair with the latest on the health of the Huron River.
The Michigan health department lifted its do-not-contact recommendation Friday evening after testing by environmental investigators found less than 20 pounds of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium likely made its way into Norton Creek from an accidental discharge by Tribar Technologies in Wixom. The state's initial estimate was more than 4,000 pounds.
Tribar Manufacturing issued a report detailing what happened before and immediately after thousands of gallons of a liquid containing hexavalent chromium were released into the Huron River.
On Monday August 2, state officials were notified that Tribar Manufacturing, a plating company in Wixom, had spilled had released several thousand gallons of a liquid containing 5% hexavalent chromium into the sewer system. Now, citizens are concerned about how the cancer-causing chemical will affect nearby water sources, including the Huron River.