Toxic vapors continue to permeate into the Franklin Village Plaza even after health officials said they eliminated the source and allowed businesses to reopen.
The 7 Investigators have learned health officials failed to warn people that contamination is established in soil and groundwater under and around the plaza. The state says it will have a plan for this in three to four weeks.
“I am shocked and it keeps getting worse and worse and worse,” says Jayne Depotter, one of the small business owners.
Early last month, the state and county shut down the plaza because of high levels of toxic vapors. On March 21, they said they eliminated the source, a 45-gallon chemical tank found in a crawl space under the building. This used to be a dry cleaners and a gas station dating back to the 1940s.
Depotter's business is a jewelry metal shop that is inside an addition to the original building in the back and on a concrete slab. They dug up her floor looking for the contamination.
“I asked that question because we are ground zero in the studio and they told me no! A couple of weeks ago.”
The owners of the other small businesses and the owner of the plaza declined to talk on camera. State DEQ officials say the boutique, the cleaners and the tailor shops are still above action levels for toxic vapors of Tetrachloroethylene.
The businesses are running air scrubbers to lower the levels of the vapors. The county tells Depotter she can remain open if she wants to.
“I’m still now under a voluntary shutdown and I’m no way cause we’re double take action numbers.”
She is going to close her business which teaches jewelry making with some 80 students and teachers.
Health officials said last month these toxic vapors can cause color vision loss, mood and memory changes, certain types of cancer and birth defects.
“I mean, this is devastating financially and I’m worried about my students and I’m worried about my teachers.”
In a news release on March 21, the county said 2 businesses were cleared to open but it failed to say contamination is continuing.
No one from the state or county would talk with us today on camera.
Some of the business owners are talking with attorneys.
Oakland County Health Division Health Officer Leigh-Anne Stafford has issued the following statement regarding the vapor intrusion:
“The Health Division continues to work closely with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) & Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) to receive the latest information on air quality results and health concerns that exist.
Recent samples have indicated fluctuations in air quality at Franklin Village Plaza. MDEQ is working with the local businesses as they continue air quality testing and continues to emphasize the importance of ensuring air filtration systems (air scrubbers) remain on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Once MDEQ and MDHHS indicate air quality test results are satisfactory, voluntary evacuation will be lifted.
MDEQ will continue to collect soil, groundwater, and vapor samples at this location and neighboring parcels over the next several months, conducting additional mitigation and remediation as needed.
