HURON RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Washtenaw County officials are pressing forward in a yearslong legal effort to force an Ann Arbor-area polluter to clean up a toxic chemical that has spread for decades in local groundwater. Last year, the Michigan Court of Appeals vacated a Washtenaw County judge’s 2021 cleanup order for the Gelman dioxane plume, dealing a blow to efforts by the county, Ann Arbor, Scio Township and the Huron River Watershed Council to accelerate the process.

A public forum will be held tonight with officials regarding the August hexavalent chromium spill in the Huron River.

Enjoy paddling on the Huron River through Ypsilanti and into Ford Lake on Sept. 25, 2022.

WIXOM, MI — The Huron River dodged a bullet. “MDHHS is lifting its no-contact recommendation for the Huron River based on testing results we have received over the past week,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “I hope we can get back to fishing, boating and enjoying the Huron,” said Rebecca Esselman, director the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC. The spill overwhelmed the Wixom wastewater plant which discharges to the river via Norton Creek, sparking a ‘no contact’ advisory the day after the spill was reported. Granular activated carbon (GAC) discharge filters installed at the Tribar plant to capture PFAS chemicals also likely captured much of the escaping chromium, EGLE said.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Judge Tim Connors’ decision this week to order a new cleanup plan for the Gelman dioxane plume is being applauded by an Ann Arbor environmental group. “To me, this is a big win for residents of the Huron River watershed,” said Rebecca Esselman, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, one of the plaintiffs in the legal case against polluter Gelman Sciences. “At HRWC, our goal continues to be to protect the Huron River,” she said. “We feel this order by Judge Connors, which advances key elements of the consent judgment, is a responsible strategy for protecting the Huron River. Judge orders new cleanup and monitoring protocols for Ann Arbor dioxane plumeLocal officials have been reacting to Connors’ ruling this week with optimism.

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.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Although its in-person Suds on the River celebration is a no-go this year, the Huron River Watershed Council has poured its efforts into a virtual program that helps Ann Arbor businesses. Participants of the Suds for the River Tour fundraiser will take themselves on a self-guided tour of Ann Arbor area breweries and eateries and while unlocking discounts courtesy of their tour passport. Heres how it works:After participants purchase a ticket online for $35 or more, the Huron River Watershed Council will mail a passport booklet for participating locations. About the Huron River Watershed CouncilThe HRWC is an environmental nonprofit coalition of businesses, community members, local governments and organizations dedicated to river protection. It is served the Huron River Watershed area in southeast Michigan since 1965.