Contractors caught in the act! Thanks to a viewer tip, 7 Action News cameras were rolling as workers dumped contaminated soil into the basement of a demolished home on Navahoe in Detroit.
7 Action News couldn’t let a contractor putting residents at risk, so we took action.
There are 50 demolitions a week in the city of Detroit and strict guidelines to follow to ensure safety of people who live in each neighborhood.
DMC Group is one of many contractors tearing homes down and filling old basements up, to help rid Detroit of blight.
A can, plastic hanger, clothing, construction netting, CapriSun, large chunks of hard clay and concrete.
Harley Brown, the Demolition Operations Manager for DMC Group, told 7 Action News, it’s not their fault.
“’Cause the residents dump things,” he says. “We don't screen all the dirt that goes into the bottom of the hole, it's not practical."
It may not seem practical but Brian Farkas with the city of Detroit says, it’s required.
“If contractors are putting in debris, it can contaminate the soil in the future,” says Farkas.
The city has done a lot of the footwork by testing and pre-approving the soil on more than 120 sites for contractors to procure and use as fill.
When 7 Action News showed Farkas the video of what DMC was using, he acted immediately.
“The dirt that you helped find, and we're really grateful channel 7 helped us with that, didn't meet the standards we put in place,” says Farkas. “So we had that contractor pull out that dirt at no cost to the city and replace it with soil that does meet the standards."
There are six city liaisons going from site to site to make sure every contractor is following health and safety guidelines but they can’t be everywhere at once. If you see someone dumping trash or large chunks of clay or concrete or other debris into a basement as fill, call this number right away: 844-DET-DEMO
Contractors who violate the city’s environmental standards are temporarily suspended from bidding for new work. If they repeatedly violate standards, they will no longer be used at all.
With more than $90 million in demolition contracts to award, that's a big hit to businesses not playing by the rules.
