Detroit Tank Plant Controversy

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

DETROIT TANK PLANT CONTROVERSY

The Army has apparently decided to "go it alone" with the cleanup of the
Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, in Warren, Michigan. In a February 13, 1998
letter, U.S. EPA's project manager for the closing facility wrote:

"With the City of Warren scheduled to take title to a major portion of
the surplus property in just a few weeks, it is important that the
community completely understand the ramifications of the U.S. Army's
decision to apply lesser standards than U.S. EPA would normally apply to
the cleanup at a site of federal interest."

EPA criticized the Army for preparing a Communition Relations Plan only
"after many important cleanup and transfer decisions have already been
made." It also pointed out that the plant was leased and occupied before
the Finding of Suitability to Lease was released to the public.

Furthermore, EPA said it has not seen sufficient studies to evaluate the
success of the Army's selected remedy for the plant, which appears "to
be institutional controls to restrict the property to commercial and
industrial use. It adds, "U.S. EPA therefore questions whether the Army
can provide a valid protective covenant (which is a written
certification in the deed that the federal government will conduct any
additional remedial action found to be necessary after the transfer....
It is not clear why the City of Warren would want to accept the parcel
'as-is' with [a] questionable covenant."

EPA raised numerous specific issues that it thinks the community should
comment upon, including the Army's contention that "it is not necessary
for them to evaluate the human health of ecological risks from
contaminated ground water" because "everyone in Warren is on a municipal
water supply." EPA said that the Army also has chosen to use State of
Michigan brownfields cleanup standards, "which are an order of magnitude
less stringent" than federal standards.

Finally, EPA complained that the Detroit Arsenal Restoration Advisory
Board has met infrequently, with limited notice, within the military
security perimeter on the base.

We have not checked with the Army for its view of this controversy, but
EPA's sharp criticism at the very least reflects a breakdown of the base
closure cleanup process.

Lenny Siegel
Director, SFSU CAREER/PRO (and Pacific Studies Center)
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org