Ford Motor Company may face toxic land lawsuit

Hearing scheduled for Monday between Ford Motor Company and Shelby Township

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A court hearing will be held Monday for Shelby Township residents who are looking to get some answers about possible contaminated soil north of 22 Mile Road near a closed Ford Motor Company plant.

Toxic chemicals are said to have been found in the soil at the former Ford Motor Company plant located on Mound Road between 22 and 23 Mile Road in Shelby Township. The plant has been closed and is in the process of being demolished. The plant has been sold by the Ford Motor Company to Visteon and now to Indiana Metals who has been doing the demolition on the property.

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Shelby Township would like to do a thorough environmental study to determine the extent of the contamination.

The township has conducted environmental studies on the property and has reason to believe that serious ground water contamination issues exist on the property. Ground water contamination has been shown to be moving into a parcel of land east of the former plant.

One estimate for clean-up to make the site safe for the residents living next to it would cost $56 million.

Ford Motor Company is attempting to get a Protective Order to seal all documents dealing with the contamination. Shelby Township strongly opposes this Protective Order because it does not allow the people who live next to the factory to know what type of harmful contamination is in the ground water under or near their homes.

The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at the Macomb County Circuit Court in front of Judge Richard L. Caretti.