Where things stand in cleanup of toxic green ooze site in Madison Heights, demolition battle

Gary Sayers released from some of his probation restrictions

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – The owner of the toxic green ooze site in Madison Heights has gotten off some of his probation restrictions, and that could have an effect on cleanup efforts.

RECENTLY: Funding approved to demolish site, but fight is far from over

Funding has been secured to help pay for the demolition of the Madison Heights building responsible for leaking green ooze onto the highway, but the fight over the future of the property is far from over.

Cleanup operations are continuing at the building owned by Gary Sayers.

The full-scale in-ground injection was recently completed, and a second round of soil sampling is scheduled to take place in mid-December.

The merge lane on I-696 opened in late October.

In total, 353,878 gallons of liquid were taken from the site for disposal, officials said.

While the cleanup process moves forward, the battle over demolition continues. Sayers has been working to maintain control, and Local 4 has learned he’s also inquired about wanting to visit the site.

Sayers has a long history of issues with the city and the state of Michigan.

Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency hope to transfer the site to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy by the end of the year.

A demolition plan is in the works, and funding has been secured. Now, it’s just a matter of finalizing the legal issues.

Funding approved to demolish green ooze site, but fight is far from over

Funding has been secured to help pay for the demolition of the Madison Heights building responsible for leaking green ooze onto the highway, but the fight over the future of the property is far from over.

The mayor of Madison Heights has reason to be optimistic about the site because money is making its way to the city to not only clean the property, but eventually tear it down.

Michigan officials pledged $600,000 in the effort to tear down the building, and now Oakland County leaders are stepping up to pledge $400,000 to get the job done.

That means $1 million is going into the effort to take care of the ongoing problem.


About the Authors:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.