GELMAN SCIENCES

ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor is moving ahead with installing more monitoring wells to track the spread of the Gelman dioxane plume to stay on the lookout for any toxic chemical pollution headed toward the city’s main drinking water source. Ann Arbor officials have repeatedly complained Michigan needs stronger environmental laws requiring polluters to pay for messes they create so taxpayers aren’t left picking up the tab or dealing with lingering pollution problems for generations. A July 2021 map of dioxane contamination in the Ann Arbor area's groundwater, showing in pink where readings are above 7.2 parts per billion, the state limit for dioxane in drinking water. Michigan Court of Appeals vacates cleanup order in Ann Arbor pollution caseCouncil Member Jeff Hayner, D-1st Ward, said he was happy to see the $333,000 well proposal come to council this week. The city is separately dealing with other contamination problems, including PFAS chemicals, coming from upstream pollution unrelated to Gelman.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – A landmark that served to remind Ann Arbor-area residents of the presence of former chemical manufacturer Gelman Sciences fell early Tuesday morning. Contractor Iseler Demolition toppled the white water tower along Wagner Road in Scio Township before 7 a.m. Aug. 23, cutting the wide base of the tower and allowing it to tip to the ground like a felled tree. Gelman was purchased by Pall Corp. in 1997, and the company ceased operations at the Wagner Road laboratory in 2013. Well drilling at the Pall Gelman medical device manufacturing plant on Wagner Rd. More from The Ann Arbor News:Virginia Patton Moss, long-time Ann Arbor resident and ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ actor, dies at 97Bees battle chemicals in Rumble of the Bumble wrestling match at Ypsilanti oddities shopAnn Arbor tops list of Michigan cities among America’s best, Livability saysHopes for neighborhood retail at troubled Ann Arbor site slowly fading

ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor is gearing up for the next round in its fight against polluter Gelman Sciences as the company continues to try to appeal cleanup orders. “It’s a battle in the trenches,” City Attorney Stephen Postema told City Council Monday night, Feb. 7.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Michigan Court of Appeals has dismissed an appeal claim by polluter Gelman Sciences in the legal case over Gelman’s dioxane pollution in Ann Arbor. Gelman’s separate “application for leave to appeal” and a motion to pause implementation of Connors’ cleanup order are still pending with the Court of Appeals. The plume has since spread for miles, poisoning and posing threats to drinking water supplies, among other concerns as it’s showing up in shallow groundwater in Ann Arbor. Unless overturned on appeal, Connors plans to hold quarterly hearings in the case and hold Gelman to his order. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Judge orders new cleanup and monitoring protocols for Ann Arbor dioxane plumeHuron River watershed group applauds judge’s ruling in Gelman plume caseHow they voted: Ann Arbor City Council vote breakdown for June 2021Plans submitted for 561-unit housing development on Ann Arbor’s north sideIllustrator unveils conceptual design for downtown Ann Arbor central park

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — The Scio Township Board of Trustees has rejected a negotiated legal settlement and reaffirmed its support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate the Gelman Sciences site as a Superfund cleanup site. As a result of the vote, Scio Township joins the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County in seeking Gov. Hathaway said he was confident in his position that the EPA cleanup will not drag out over several years as some board members have cautioned. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Washtenaw County requests EPA intervention in Gelman plume cleanupA closer look at the proposed Gelman plume cleanup plan. Scio Township rescinds vote to approve Gelman cleanup deal

ANN ARBOR, MI — Three days of court hearings are expected to take place in January in the legal case against polluter Gelman Sciences, whose toxic chemical plume of dioxane continues to spread through Ann Arbor’s groundwater. A county map of the Gelman dioxane plume originating in Scio Township and moving easterly through Ann Arbor's west side as of 2019. Small dots on the map mark the locations of drinking water wells, while different types of larger circles show the locations of monitoring wells and groundwater extraction wells for treatment operations by polluter Gelman Sciences. The red outlined area is the prohibition zone where groundwater use is prohibited per court orders.Washtenaw CountyCo-plaintiffs in the case against Gelman include Ann Arbor, Scio Township, Washtenaw County, the state of Michigan and the Huron River Watershed Council. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:EPA explains lengthy Superfund process to Ann Arbor-area officials‘We’re really, really slow,’ EPA tells local officials seeking pollution cleanupRecords show wide range of citizen complaints against Ann Arbor policePolice oversight in Ann Arbor challenged by city’s refusal to release officer discipline recordsSuspect in University of Michigan North Campus armed robbery arrested

ANN ARBOR, MI — A Gelman plume cleanup deal rejected by Ann Arbor now has Scio Township’s support. In a drama-filled meeting last month, the Ann Arbor City Council voted 7-4 to reject a conditional settlement. The parties have been working toward a mutually agreeable consent judgment, but with Ann Arbor and Scio Township now taking different positions, that could complicate matters. She’s concerned about Scio residents on the fringe of the plume and doesn’t think there are enough protections, she said. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:How they voted: Ann Arbor City Council vote breakdown for October 2020A roundup of local election coverage in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw CountyAnn Arbor officials oppose deal to let polluter discharge dioxane into ‘pristine lake’A closer look at the proposed Gelman plume cleanup plan.

ANN ARBOR – Local and federal officials will hold a joint public session via Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions residents have about the Gelman dioxane plume and ongoing litigation. Trustees of Scio and Ann Arbor townships and heads of the Huron River Watershed Council have been invited to take part in the session. The plume is a toxic pollution by chemical plant Gelman Sciences in Scio Township that’s been seeping into the area’s soil and groundwater since the late 1960s. Trace levels of the chemical have been detected in the city Ann Arbor’s drinking water supply from Barton Pond starting in Feb. 2019. Questions for the Sept. 24 event should be submitted to gelmanquestions@a2gov.org by Sept. 18 at 5 p.m.For more information on the case and cleanup efforts, visit the city of Ann Arbor’s Gelman 1,4-Dioxane Litigation website.