EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Eastpointe residents are demanding answers after a Priority Waste garbage truck was caught on video dumping puddles of foul-smelling liquid, known as "garbage juice," onto their street.
Watch Peter Maxwell's video report:
Homeowners Ryan Margerison and Micaela Preston found the mess outside their home on Piper Street. Preston first noticed the liquid when she went to grab her trash cans.
"I noticed all of this water in the road. So I originally came out in socks. Didn't think anything of it. Until I noticed used feminine products in my street along with broken liquor bottles and plastic liquor bottles," Preston said.
Watch the video of the truck dumping the "garbage juice" below:
The couple checked their doorbell camera and saw a Priority Waste driver throw the truck into reverse before spilling the liquid.
"They backed up the truck, slammed on their brakes and just let all of the liquid waste just spill out. They did it one time there, a second time there, and a third time right here," Margerison said.
The spill left stains on the road and a strong stench of garbage lingering in the air.
"It's a horrible smell, and I mean when you come out the house, as soon as you get out of the car, you can smell it," Margerison said.
"That is disgusting and just gross," Preston said.
"We still have all the stains here. There's a bunch of garbage and trash as well," Margerison said.
Neighbors are also worried about the contents of the liquid left behind in the street.
"There's all kinds of stuff in there. You have no Idea what could be in there," Dale Rocke said.
I reached out to Priority Waste for answers. The company provided a statement explaining that leachate, or "garbage juice," is a natural by-product of the industry.
"We were made aware of the spill and immediately deployed a street sweeping crew to Eastpointe to remediate the area. After reviewing the situation internally, the driver has been formally reprimanded and will complete corrective action training to help ensure this does not happen again. Leachate, aka “garbage juice,” is a natural by-product of our industry, and while it can occur from time to time, we work hard to minimize and prevent it through proper maintenance, operating discipline, and rapid response when issues arise," Priority Waste said.
While I was reporting on this story Thursday, Priority Waste sent a street sweeping crew to clear the stains and smell from the street.
The City of Eastpointe is aware of the video and is investigating the incident. Additionally, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has an open investigation and said Priority Waste is cooperating.
"I just don't want this to be done to someone else or repeated again as well," Margerison said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
