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Toxicologist: No health risk found in air around Jeep plant in Detroit

Detroit Free Press - 1/28/2022

Residents who have been complaining for months about strong paint odors from a Stellantis plant on Detroit's east side received some assurance Thursday night from a state toxicologist about health risks of the air in their neighborhood but left frustrated over unanswered questions and uncertainty over asthma and other concerns.

A community outcry over the air around the plant, which makes new versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, has led to multiple investigations and violation notices from the state and prompted the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to lead a virtual community meeting Thursday, attended at one point by almost 150 people who heard from state and federal environmental and health officials.

Brandon Reid, a toxicologist with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, explained what health department officials have been able to glean so far. For instance, 20 unique chemicals, including eight known to be used at the Mack plant, were found in air samples taken in the area but all were below a level that would be considered a health risk. The state also hasn't identified the chemicals responsible for the odors around the plant.

"After reviewing the air sampling data, we did not find any short-term or long-term health risks," Reid said.

He noted that the level of chemicals from the data wasn't high enough to cause an increased risk of health effects, but he also said the data was "pretty limited." Foul odors like those reported around the plant are a nuisance that can cause temporary health symptoms that worsen the quality of life — headaches, nausea, irritation of the lungs, eyes and throat, he said.

Still, "smelling an odor does not necessarily mean that your health is being harmed, certainly not long term," Reid said.

But one of the attendees, KT Andresky, who said she teaches at the nearby Capuchin Soup Kitchen, said a student of hers had had an asthma attack outside one day over the summer when they were having class in the garden. Odors were present that day.

Andresky wanted some assurance from the state, but she did not get it.

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"Can you guys let me know ... if you think it's safe for me to have classes outside in a garden when odors are like that? Can I tell my students honestly that it's safe for them to be in the garden and in the garden class?" Andresky said, also asking whether toxins could settle into the soil.

Reid said he wouldn't be too concerned about the soil, but he couldn't answer the question about safety outdoors.

"About the asthma side of things, that's a really hard question, and I don't think I can make that kind of assessment right now about, you know, whether you should have classes outdoors or not. The asthma part of things, those can be triggered by odors, and that's one of the concerns we have with the odors," Reid said.

While officials highlighted air samples that have been analyzed so far, they also indicated that the picture remains incomplete. They described it as a "snapshot" in time and that future sampling is possible.

"Why are you holding this meeting when you don't have all of the information?" said Robert Shobe, whose home is next to the Stellantis property, noting his frustration.

Meeting moderator Jenifer Dixon of EGLE said she hoped the meeting would be just a first step in communicating with the residents.

Eden Kasmala, a coordinator involved in public education and outreach for the community activist group Detroit People's Platform, also criticized the situation.

"I'm very confused by the fact that it seems like there's been an entire caveat to this conversation which is that there's not enough data to determine what you've spent the past hour talking about," Kasmala said. "We're smelling the stuff. It's real, but you don't seem to be concerned about the health impacts. You seem to be focused on the smell and not the fact that eyes are burning, that throats are sore, that lungs are sore."

State officials, however, said the situation will continue to be a focus and that the odors in the area aren't acceptable.

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Jenine Camilleri, an EGLE official involved in enforcement, said "this is a top priority for our division," and she said the department would be bringing a draft consent order back to the community to lay out specific requirements the company will need to take as part of the enforcement process. The automaker is expected to face a fine and other requirements as part of the enforcement process.

No representatives for Stellantis, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge brands, spoke during the meeting. Only state and federal officials were visible or gave presentations. Residents with questions or concerns either spoke or submitted them in an online chat. The company has previously said it takes full responsibility for the concerns that have been raised and has said it would install pollution control equipment pending the outcome of discussions with the state.

In late December, the company said it had fixed an emissions ducting issue at the plant, which had been the subject of one of the violation notices and was discovered as a result of resident complaints about odors.

The state's pollution emergency number is 800-292-4706 and the EGLE Air Quality Division Detroit complaint line is 313-456-4681. Officials provided both numbers during the meeting and encouraged residents to call the state rather than a separate phone line set up by the company.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.

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