Last Thursday, Jan. 11, the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee (CEIC) gathered at the White River Township Hall to present a summary of the reasons for the 62-year delay in the cleanup of the former DuPont property, now owned by Chemours. Thirty-two White Lake area residents joined CEIC members at the hall, while 17 joined remotely, by Zoom.
Reasons for the delay include the fact that for all these years there has been no enforceable document to give Michigan’s state environmental agency the authority to establish timelines for the cleanup. Also, the Chemours site has been labeled as a Medium Priority. The state focuses on completing cleanup activities at High Priority contaminated sites, while for Medium Priority sites such as the Chemours property the focus is on keeping human exposures and contaminated groundwater under control.
Next Thursday, Jan. 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Materials Management Division of EGLE will be at the White River Township Hall, 7386 Post Rd, Montague, to provide their first update on the cleanup of the Chemours property since December 2018. Chemours is also expected to be present. There will be time allotted for questions during the meeting.
CEIC is encouraging people to attend the meeting either in person or by Zoom to show EGLE and Chemours that our community strongly supports cleanup and conservation of this property. “Community Acceptance” is a consideration in the industry’s decision-making regarding their course of action for cleanup.
For more information, or to find the Zoom link to join the meeting remotely, email makeitrightchemours@gmail.com or visit Make It Right Chemours on Facebook.
