Man imprisoned for I-696 green ooze spill to be released on house arrest amid COVID-19 outbreak

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – The man who owned the Madison Heights business responsible for the toxic ooze that leaked onto I-696 in 2019 is expected to be released from jail.

Madison Heights city officials said Gary Sayers, the owner of the now-condemned Electro-Plating Services on 10 Mile Road, will be released May 20 to be placed on house arrest.

Sayers is currently at Federal Correctional Institution Morgantown Kennedy Center in West Virginia.

Officials said his release is due to COVID-19.

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In November 2019, Sayers was sentenced to a year and a day in prison after he pleaded guilty to storing hazardous waste without a permit.

At Electro-Plating Services, inspectors found an estimated 5,000 containers of hazardous waste and materials that were improperly stored, unlabeled, open and corroded or in very poor condition.

Read more:

• Photos show pipes severely eroded by chemicals from condemned Madison Heights business
• Officials field questions about Madison Heights toxic ooze investigation at public forum
• Test results: Madison Heights drinking water is safe, does not contain PFAS
• Click here to visit our Defending The Environment page