October 3, 2005

The Departments of Environmental Quality and the Attorney General have entered into a settlement regarding the former Red Run Drain (Fostoria and Freedom Hill) landfills in Macomb County. This settlement will result in repayment of over $1.7 million in past state cleanup costs plus any future state oversight costs, along with the preparation and implementation of a cleanup plan to address contamination from the landfills at an estimated cost of $10 million.

“Landfill operators must be aware of the environmental impact their operations can have on nearby communities,” said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. “This settlement provides a thorough cleanup of the sites and assures residents that their health will not be put at risk.”

The settlement, which became effective August 29, 2005, upon entry of a consent decree with Macomb County Circuit Court, ends litigation against the defendants and resolves a June 1994 complaint filed by the state.

South Macomb Disposal Authority, a consortium of Centerline, East Detroit, Roseville, St. Clair Shores, and Warren municipalities, who constructed and operated the two landfills in the 1960s, will perform the needed cleanup response actions and pay a portion of the $1.7 million settlement plus any future state oversight costs.

The remaining settling defendants are former owners or operators of property at the Fostoria and Freedom Hall Landfill sites who were not involved in the construction or operation of the landfills.

SMDA’s cleanup plan will provide for a landfill cap, a leachate collection and treatment system to address liquid leaching from the landfill wastes, and a landfill gas venting system to enhance an existing system built by the state to protect nearby landowners from hazardous gases, particularly methane.

The Fostoria and Freedom Hill Landfills were constructed in the 1960s and are situated adjacent to and directly opposite one another across the Red Run Drain in Macomb County.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised October 3, 2005 by Pat Watson