Yellow-green chemical spill on I-696 no imminent risk to the public, officials say – MLive.com

MADISON HEIGHTS, MI Michigan officials say a yellow-green chemical liquid that seeped onto I-696 on Friday poses no imminent risk to the public.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy had workers vacuuming sewers and working inside Madison Heights-based Electro-Plating Services over the weekend.

According to the Associated Press, the chemical oozed out of the building's basement and entered a storm sewer on the freeway and a sewer clean-out between the business and the freeway's service drive.

The liquid was identified as water contaminated with Hexavelent Chromium, a chemical typically used in textile dyes, wood preservation and inks.

And while there is little risk to the public, officials told the Associated Press that the freeway embankment is "significantly impacted."

The company was issued a cease-and-desist order in December 2016 due to hazardous waste mismanagement. Crews removed chemicals from the property but did not clean up soil or groundwater contamination.

Last month, the company was ordered to pay $1.5 million and its owner, Gary Sayers, received one year in prison for illegally storing hazardous waste.

Sayers knowing, illegal storage of waste cyanide, highly corrosive wastes, toxic chromium waste, and reactive wastes posed a significant danger and threat to nearby communities and the environment, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement in November.

Federal officials added that Sayers "stonewalled" efforts and warnings for years to properly deal with the wastes.

According to the Associated Press, samples of the liquid were taken for testing and those results are expected by Tuesday. Officials from EGLE, as well as other local, state and federal agencies, met Sunday in Detroit.

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Yellow-green chemical spill on I-696 no imminent risk to the public, officials say - MLive.com

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