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Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant Response

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Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant Response

Contact

Joe DeGrazia
DeGraziaJ@Michigan.gov
586-291-0476

Background Information and Incident Timeline

  • Tuesday, August 31, 2021: EGLE receives a report of gasoline in the sanitary sewer.  EGLE personnel responded and began investigating the report; including determination of potential sources of the release, including Ford Motor Company's (Ford) Flat Rock Assembly Plant (FRAP), a nearby gas station, etc. to check their underground storage tank (UST) systems for potential issues.

  • Wednesday, September 1, 2021: EGLE personnel performed a pre-emptive walkthrough of the Ford FRAP  facility.  Nothing was observed by inspectors because all visible signs of the gasoline release were underground.

  • Thursday, September 2, 2021: An anonymous tip led EGLE personnel  to return to the Ford FRAP facility.  Upon arrival, Ford informed EGLE that it had discovered a leak after EGLE's inspector had left the site on Wednesday.  Roughly about the same time, Ford filed a Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS) report with EGLE acknowledging the gasoline release.  EGLE inspected the facility and confirmed a release at the site.  Work began to determine if this was the source of the gasoline product in the sanitary sewer system.  The sanitary sewer manholes, from the tank basin, along International Drive, to the manhole located at Gibraltar Road and International Drive, were inspected late Thursday providing evidence that the leak was almost certainly the cause of the sanitary sewer contamination.

  • Friday, September 3, 2021: Determined Ford FRAP facility was the source.  Sewer lines leading from the facility to the municipal sewers were plugged; stopping the leakage into the City's sewers.

  • On Sept. 8, 2021, EGLE sent a "Demand for Initial Response Actions Under Part 213" letter to Ford.  The demand letter requested that Ford submit to EGLE within three days of receipt of the letter, a written commitment to conduct the necessary initial response actions.  On Sept. 10, 2021, Ford submitted a letter response to EGLE indicating commitment to conduct the necessary initial response actions and provide a schedule for conducting the necessary additional corrective actions.

    • Documents