Community continues fight to shut down northwest Detroit concrete crusher

A community group in northwest Detroit held a press conference on Thursday to help drum up support for a city lawsuit set to begin next week that aims to revoke the operating permit for a concrete crushing facility in the area.

Representatives from the Schoolcraft Improvement Association gathered at the Greater Burnette Baptist Church in Detroit with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and local residents to raise awareness about the various health concerns posed by the concrete crusher, operated by Grand Rapids-based Green Valley Properties.

Talib says approximately 300 blight tickets have been issued to the facility over the past two years, making it clear that environmental laws are not being enforced and the penalties are not strong enough.

“If any of you had broken the law 300 times, we wouldn’t expect to continue going on about our days,” she said.

Neighbors have complained about excessive dust blowing in the Schoolcraft Southfield neighborhood from the concrete crusher, landing on their cars and inside their homes. The dust emitting from the facility is known to contain the mineral silica, which can cause silicosis, lung cancer, kidney failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

George Perdue is the president of the Schoolcraft Improvement Association. He says he knows firsthand what dust exposure can do.

“My dad died from silicosis, he was 51 years old. I was 14. I am still understanding the ramifications of having lost my dad…from dust,” he said.

Perdue says since the facility received its permit in 2019, he has had to increase his use of his inhaler and nasal sprays. Perdue’s neighborhood is seven blocks away from the facility.

Another neighbor, Pamela Brown, lives just around the corner. She is a cardiac patient and has also had to increase her usage of an inhaler and sleep apnea machine. She says she can’t even enjoy being in her own home because of the dust.

“I can’t turn my air conditioning on in the summer. I can’t let the windows up. I can’t sit on my porch.”

The city submitted a notice in 2022 to revoke the facility’s land use permit, but was overruled by the Department of Administrative Hearings — an independent department which oversees blight violations in the city.

The city’s Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) appealed the decision, and will be presenting the case to Judge Dana M. Hathaway in Wayne County Circuit Court on Thursday, March 21.

The Sugar Law Center for Social and Economic Justice and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Schoolcraft Improvement Association in support of the city’s case.

“Through this amicus brief, community members will be able to have their stories shared with the court and show just how devastating this concrete crusher has been on their community,” said Liz Jacob, environmental justice attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Social and Economic Justice, in a news release. “We are honored to support the members of the Schoolcraft Improvement Association in their fight against this dangerous concrete crusher that threatens their health, livelihoods and well-being.”

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.