Group An Advocate For Residents On Cleanup

Group an advocate for residents on cleanup

MDEQ presents its remediation plan for the Dioxane E-plume to Judge Shelton on Sept. 8. His decision will affect many west-side neighborhoods and, possibly, all of Ann Arbor. Until sufficiently monitored progress (not by Pall Life Sciences) has been made in removing the largest mass of contamination from areas at and around PLS, cleanup activities within residential areas, the supposed “leading edge,” should be avoided. This is a critical point of unity among citizens often lost in the discussions of the cleanup alternatives.

At public meetings, seemingly no one advocates for the residents.

ProtectOurNeighborhoods.com is a group of concerned citizens sharing the following positions:

■ It does not make sense to extract dioxane within neighborhoods that are distant from the original site of contamination when the core and public/commercial areas have not been successfully addressed.

■ Pumping dioxane from deep underground to within a few feet of the surface within a residential area could be hazardous to the health and welfare of our families.

■ We are not convinced that the integrity of the pipeline system that would carry this carcinogen could be adequately guaranteed.

■ The scientific basis for “leading edge” remediation is questionable, especially within a highly populated residential area.

■ Similar “leading edge” solutions already used in the Evergreen neighborhood have been ineffective.

■ We oppose the loss of private property owners’ rights as part of any remedial alternative.

We urge citizens to attend the hearing, go to our Web site ProtectOurNeighborhoods .com and get involved.

Chris J. O'Brien

and Mike S. Romatowski, Ann Arbor