Description
For about the last year or more I have noticed a terrible smell while driving on M-59 near the old Silverdome site.
It smells like a mixture of dead animals and raw sewage. It is absolutely horrible.
For about the last year or more I have noticed a terrible smell while driving on M-59 near the old Silverdome site.
It smells like a mixture of dead animals and raw sewage. It is absolutely horrible.
6 Comments
Lionslappy (Registered User)
After a little digging around it seems like this is an old issue that has not been corrected. It seems the culprit is the Pontiac Wastewater Treatment Plant. This makes sense based on the odor......
I found this archived article which describes what I experience daily on my drive to work and back home.
I can't believe all the folks living in the neighborhoods on the South side of M-59 have to deal with this - GROSS!!!!! I would expect it in a 3rd world country - not in Oakland County....
https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/many-complain-of-foul-smell-near-pontiac-wastewater-treatment-plant/article_93c761a5-767d-579d-a4e8-a7f224c2f35a.html
Lionslappy (Registered User)
Here is another article from 2016.
HOW HAS THE PONTIAC WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT NOT BEEN SHUT DOWN YET???
http://www.thesalinepost.com/government/despite-many-attempted-fixes-odor-plagues-neighbors-salines-wastewater-treatment-plant
Lionslappy (Registered User)
I live in Troy, so I really have no skin in the game except I have to pass through the cloud of unsanitary stench 2 times a day in my truck.
That being said, I am REALLY MAD that this is happening.
That plant is right on the Clinton River, which runs through many communities on its exit into Lake St. Clair. The river dumps in by Metro Beach - hmmmmm....... - I wonder why that is one of the first beaches to close with ecoli warnings every year........
This has sooooo many potential implications - I am sick!!!
Lionslappy (Registered User)
Here is a copy of an inspection report from 2015
- http://www.deq.state.mi.us/aps/downloads/SRN/B1950/B1950_SAR_20150515.pdf
Many things stand out to me - but here are a few direct quotes -
--- "Sodium Hypochlorite is added to chlorinate the discharge followed by tertiary treatment using activated charcoal filtration. The effluent is the de-chlorinated using sodium bisulphate. The final effluent is discharged into the CLINTON RIVER".
A quick seach on sodium hypochlorite turns up this: Sodium hypochlorite poisoning. Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical commonly found in bleach, water purifiers, and cleaning products. Swallowing sodium hypochlorite can lead to poisoning. Breathing sodium hypochlorite fumes may also cause poisoning, especially if the product is mixed with ammonia.
The sodium bisulfate doesn't sound much better: Toxicological Data on Ingredients: Sodium bisulfate: ORAL (LD50): Acute: 2800 mg/kg [Rat]. Potential Acute Health Effects: Very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation. Hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive, permeator).
Apparently it is acceptable to dump this back into the clinton river - it should be absolutely unacceptable :( We as Michiganders own 70% of the worlds fresh water, its time this stop!
--- "The facility also has a retention basin to absorb increase in sewage flow"
Does this mean there is raw sewage sitting in the basin? If so, that would explain some of the stench.
--- "Any run off from the sludge area is collected in the WWTP's grit tank via storm drains"
--- "The waste collected from the mechanical separation and the grit chamber is land applied".
--- "The dewatered sludge from the belt press is conveyed to dump truck which transfers the sludge to the above ground drying area"
All of this is really eye opening!
This is 2018, right?
Lionslappy (Registered User)
Lionslappy (Registered User)