DETROIT – A growing number of east-side Detroit and Hamtramck neighbors are calling for the shutdown of Kronos Concrete, a facility operating at the corner of Gaylord and Moran, citing health hazards, noise, and poor maintenance.
“It’s visible dust—and it does impact our breathing,” said Rev. Sharon Buttry with the Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments, one of the community members leading the charge.
Neighbors told Local 4 that the dust is only part of the problem.
Traffic from heavy trucks, persistent noise, and general neglect of the property are also disrupting their lives.
A petition demanding the plant’s closure has already gathered more than 800 signatures, according to Buttry.
“After you stand there a while, your eyes burn,” said Buttry. “It’s terrible.”
An 85-year-old neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, described how plumes of dust settle on everything and even enter homes when the windows are open. And when the wind whips, that’s when it’s really bad, Buttry said.
“North, South, East, and West — it depends on the velocity of the wind. We can get 50 to 60 mile-an-hour gusts, and that makes a very big difference,” Buttry said, also pointing to a large pile of sand and gravel near the site that she said blows with the rest of the dust.
“The residents that are close by want [the plant] to go away,” said Buttry. “It just doesn’t belong in the neighborhood.”
The city, however, said the plant is operating within its legal rights.
A spokesperson noted the area is zoned for industrial use and that Kronos has a dust mitigation plan in place. They said in part:
“Our inspectors have been on site three times a week and have found only minor violations, each of which was promptly corrected. We will continue to monitor the situation, and if we find any further violations, we take immediate appropriate action.”
Despite that, neighbors also point to what they call a lack of basic upkeep and consideration for the surrounding community.
While the site has a sign that states, ‘We don’t crush concrete,’ one resident said, “That’s true— but they mix it, and I am worried they’re planning to expand.”
Buttry said residents aren’t just pushing back — they’re asking city leaders to rethink how the land is used altogether.
“Our city councilman would have to be the one to initiate that down-zoning application,” said Buttry. “He says he can’t do it because it’s a legacy industrial area, but we know that with political will, land can change. The uses of land can change. It happens all over the city every day. Why can’t it happen for us, especially when it’s our health and our quality of life that is directly impacted?”
Neighbors are planning to protest outside Kronos Concrete on July 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at McNichols and Moran. They also plan to canvass the area in the coming weeks to rally more support.
Kronos Concrete and Compass Strategies did not respond to Local 4’s requests for comment on this story.
PETITION: www.detroithamtramckcoalition.com, www.wesaynotokronos.weebly.com
LINKS: