Ann Arbor’s
groundwater is center
of talks with officials,
activists
By BRIAN KUANG
Daily Staff Reporter
Amid some public concerns
over the safety of Ann Arbor’s
groundwater,
representatives
of the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality took
questions from local leaders
at Washtenaw County’s Board
of
Commissioners
working
session on Thursday evening.
The
contaminated
plume
of groundwater that several
residents have raised concerns
about — which lies beneath
Scio
Township
and
Ann
Arbor and is slowly moving
toward the Huron River —
originated
from
Gelman
Sciences,
which
improperly
disposed of 1,4-dioxane into
the groundwater between 1966
and 1986.
However,
1,4-dioxane
has never been detected in
Ann
Arbor’s
water
supply,
and a network of monitoring
wells have been maintained
by the DEQ and Gelman-
Pall
Corporation,
Gelman’s
successor company as of 1992.
Public scrutiny regarding the
Gelman Plume had been largely
dormant for years, and was
reignited after the Flint water
crisis.
On Feb. 1, Ann Arbor City
Council unanimously approved
a resolution demanding the
DEQ
adopt
more
stringent
cleanup standards, in response
to calls for action from members
of the public.
Current
DEQ
cleanup
standards
for
dioxane
are
set at 85 parts per billion in
groundwater, despite the fact
that
EPA
guidelines
state
that dioxane carries a one in
100,000 cancer risk at 3.5 parts
per billion. At the plume’s most
concentrated points, test wells
have detected concentrations
in excess of 1,000 parts per
billion.
At
Thursday’s
meeting,
local officials and members
of the Washtenaw County
Coalition
for
Remediation
of Dioxane — a consortium
of
local
activists
and
governments — put forth
a series of complaints and
requests to the DEQ.
CARD members Kristen
Schweighoefer,
Washtenaw
County environmental health
director, and Roger Rayle,
chair of Scio Residents for
Safe Water, demanded the
state take more assertive
legal
action
against
Pall
Corporation to compel a more
thorough cleanup. They also
said they wanted DEQ to
revise its cleanup standards
to be in line with the EPA,
and voiced worry that a new
northward growth of the plume
poses an immediate threat to
numerous residential drinking
wells in Ann Arbor.
“How long can we really let
this plume expand without
taking
aggressive
action?”
Rayle said.
Mike Moran, Ann Arbor
Township
supervisor,
expressed frustration toward
the
state
government
for
failing to address the issue,
adding that he was actively
exploring turning the plume
into a superfund site that would
prompt
EPA
intervention.
Superfunds are sites targeted
by the agency for cleanup.
“Simply stated, I have lost
my confidence in the state of
Michigan to do what needs
to be done to bring this to a
satisfactory conclusion,” Moran
said.
In response, Bob Wagner,
chief of the DEQ Remediation
and Redevelopment Division,
acknowledged the importance
of the group’s concerns and said
the DEQ was acting on them.
He added, however, that he is
operating under court-imposed
constraints limiting what the
Gelman-Pall Corporation can
be compelled to comply with.
“We’re not in a situation
where groundwater restoration
is going to happen; we are in
a risk management situation”
said Wagner.
Wagner also said the state’s
dioxane
safety
standards
would
be
revised
soon,
though
he
acknowledged
that previous deadlines for
revision had been missed due
to unforeseen complications in
the department’s calculations.
“While it has taken us some
time, and I’ll be the first to say
that we didn’t hit our projected
end date, we are still working
on it, we are working on it every
day, every weekend. This will
get done,” Wagner said.
Yousef Rabhi (D), county
vice chair of the Board of
Commissioners,
criticized
Wagner for what he viewed as
DEQ’s inadequate answers. He
also accused the department
of not being beholden to public
interests.
“Frankly, if you guys give
me a timeline, I’m just as much
going to assume you’re not
going to get it done in 30 years,”
Rabhi said to Wagner. “Your
timelines have no credibility
with me because you’ve broken
my trust multiple times.”
“What am I going to tell my
constituents,
‘Sorry,
you’re
never going to get that water
cleaned up?’ That’s what I
heard,” continued Rabhi. “I am
going to do everything in my
power to fight that, and to make
sure the DEQ must clean up this
environmental catastrophe.
2 — Friday, February 19, 2016
News
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LEFT:
Supporters
vocalize
their
agreement with U.S. Sen. Bernie
Sanders’ (D—Vt.) ideas of political
revolution at the Eastern Michigan
University Convocation Center on
Monday. (KRISTINA PERKINS/Daily)
RIGHT: Lillian Faderman, English
professor
at
California
State
University
at
Fresno,
spoke
on
lesbian feminist movements in the
1970’s and 1980’s at Lane Hall on
Thursday. (DELANEY RYAN/Daily)
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: FEB. 12-18
A Chicago judge will
hear testimony on Ted
Cruz’s eligibility as a
Republican presidential
candidate, given his birthplace
is in Canada, CNN reported.
Illinois
resident
Lawrence
Joyce, a Ben Carson supporter,
brought the case to court.
2
Bolivian
politics
WHAT: This lecture
will focus on child labor
in Bolivia, especially the
Child and Adolescent
Code that violates
international labor laws.
WHO: Center for Latin
American and Caribbean
Studies
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. to 4
p.m.
WHERE: School of Social
Work Building, room 1644
History of
Latin America
WHAT: This workshop
will focus on strategies to
improve freedom in envi-
ronments of repression
and violence, particularly
regarding 19th century to
present day Latin America.
WHO: Eisenberg Institute
for Historical Studies
WHEN: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Tisch
Hall, room 1014
The Senate Intelligence
Committee is working
on a new encryption bill,
according to The Wall
Street Journal. The proposed
bill would create criminal
penalties for companies that
fail to comply with court
orders to decipher encrypted
communications.
1
Impact dance
WHAT: Impact Dance will
be performing their Spring
Show both tonight and
Saturday night. Tickets pur-
chased online ahead of time
cost $8 for adults and $7 for
students. All tickets pur-
chased at the door are $9.
WHO: Impact Dance, Mich-
igan Union Ticket Office
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Power Center
for the Performing Arts
Pope Francis called
out
presidential
candidate
Donald
Trump for his stances
on immigration, which he
said weren’t in accordance
with Christian values, CNN
reported.
The
remarks
came after the Pope visited
the Mexican border.
3
Philhamonia
orchestra
WHAT: Conducted by
Oriol Sands, the UPO will
perform Brahms Serenade
No. 1. This is one of Brahms’
first orchestral works and
includes strong classical
instrument performances.
WHO: School of Music,
Theatre & Dance
WHEN: 8 p.m.
WHERE: Hill Auditorium
Talent
showcase
WHAT: Kappa Alpha Psi
will host “A Night at the
Set,” a multicultural talent
showcase for students. All
tickets cost $12 and can be
purchased online.
WHO: Michigan Union
Ticket Office
WHEN: 7:11 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union,
Rogel Ballroom
UMix game
night
WHAT: UMix will host a
game night featuring Minute
to Win It games, board
games, video games and Pop
Culture Clash. “Spectre” will
be screened at 10:30 p.m. and
will be accompanied by a
nacho bar.
WHO: Center for Campus
Involvement
WHEN: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union
Communication
skills workshop
WHAT: Jaqueline Doneghy
of Human Resources will
host a seminar to help attend-
ees sharpen listening and
communication skills and
gain social confidence.
WHO: Learning and Pro-
fessional Development
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Administrative
Services Building
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Arab LGBTQ
dinner, talk
WHAT: The Middle East
and Arab Network will host
a community dinner and
discussion. Prof. Charlotte
Karem-Albrecht will speak
about the struggles that
LBGTQ Arabs encountered.
WHO: Spectrum Center
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: North Quad