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General Motors Milford Proving Grounds sued for salt contamination in water

Posted at 6:15 PM, Nov 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-30 18:15:48-05

A group of residents who live next door to the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford is suing the company for excess Sodium Chloride runoff into their well water.

One resident, Ellen Moore says she’s had kidney damage for 7 years. 

The lawsuit was filed in Livingston County and alleges fraud, negligence and causing health and environmental issues. 

Moore could not show us pictures of her kidneys, but she did have pictures of damage around their 2800 square foot house and a letter she says they got in 2014 that GM said salt may have migrated from their property.

The company in a statement says:

GM does not believe this suit has merit. Salt deposits naturally occur in this area, and salt is also used on the many nearby public roads during winter. Nonetheless, acting as a good neighbor, salt usage at the Milford Proving Ground has been reduced by 60% over the last two decades and GM submits regular reports on the groundwater quality at the Milford Proving Ground to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.  

Attorney Alexander Memmen says they have documents that show GM knew it had “serious” problems with Sodium Chloride as far back as 1985.