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)

NEED 
MORE 

PHOTOS?

See more Photos of the 
Week on our website, 
michigandaily.com.

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

