Put to the Test Water Crisis Keeps Labs Busier – and Not Just in Flint
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
20160307-NEWS--0001-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 3/4/2016 5:47 PM Page 1 New DIA chief: I’d bring the ‘temple’ down to street level, PAGE 3 MARCH 7-13, 2016 3 years later,ambitious concept still work in progress Put to the test Water crisis keeps labs busier – and not just in Flint By Chad Halcom [email protected] The Flint water crisis has lead contami- nation on the minds of officials far outside Genesee County — and business is brisk for the laboratories and water quality ex- perts who can either confirm or allay those QL MEDIA HOUSE worries. Street-level projects such as the “If I Die” chalk wall on Woodward have been a big School districts in rural areas that rely on part of the “place-making” efforts to make downtown more appealing. wells are required to test drinking water for lead from those wells at least once every three years, and often more frequently under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency City place-making regulations — but school districts on city water are not. The Flint crisis has many school districts, day care providers and some municipalities plans taking time elsewhere in Michigan eager for assurances that the same contamination issues haven’t hit closer to home, experts said. By Kirk Pinho list of the projects and ambitious Rochester Community Schools retained [email protected] plans the city still needs done: com- Ann Arbor-based Nova Environmental Inc. to The big things were supposed to pletion of the $137 million M-1 Rail collect water samples from 21 schools and be done by now. project, now slated to be completed other buildings for testing at a Michigan De- Three years ago this month, the in the first quarter next year; the re- partment of Environmental Quality laborato- concept of “place-making” in development of the 2-acre former ry. The initial testing found no samples downtown Detroit was officially in- Hudson’s department store site, with above the EPA corrective action threshold “The lead work is such that troduced with a plan to turn the a development plan not yet submit- of 15 parts per billion — but a second sam- we find ourselves pulling central business district into a ted to the city; and a pair of complex ple batch has gone to Ohio-based National pedestrian and shopping haven projects that would reimagine two Testing Laboratories Ltd., and results are ex- weekends or longer days.” using a community development key city arteries: Woodward and Jef- pected back later this week. concept aimed at boosting a com- ferson avenues. KaryAmin,partner and vice president,Nova Environmental Inc. Superintendent Robert Shaner sought munity’s quality of life to attract and Those projects remain in the the testing following reports on the Flint retain businesses and workers. works at varying levels of crisis, and the second sample collection Regulation vs. red-tape cutting: Water crisis raises questions on What was intended to be com- completion. SEE WATER, PAGE 19 how DEQ balances regulation, customer service. Page 18. pleted by the end of 2015 is a check- SEE DOWNTOWN, PAGE 20 Natural gas pipeline sits at Nexus of DTE’s income growth plans By Gary Anglebrandt Spectra Energy Corp., which are equal- mits from local municipalities all Crain’s Detroit Business ly splitting the $2 billion project cost. Special Report: the way up to the Federal Energy Reg- In the first quarter of next year, Nexus will pipe natural gas sourced Renewable energy ulatory Commission. But it is sched- businesses and residents in Washte- from Appalachian fracking fields in Wave of investment powers up uled for operation in the final quar- naw, Lenawee and Monroe coun- Ohio and Pennsylvania — part of the green energy even as state utility ter of 2017, pending commission ties can expect to see construction Marcellus and Utica shale basins that approval, which DTE expects to get requirements end, Pages 9-13 begin on a pipeline that will bring are among the country’s richest in the fourth quarter of this year. natural gas from 250 miles away. sources of natural gas. The project is separately funded The Nexus pipeline is a joint-ven- Nexus will start in eastern Ohio, before moving on to Monroe and outside the utility side of DTE’s ture project between Detroit-based run across the Buckeye State and Washtenaw counties. Fifty-five of business, and therefore the compa- DTE Energy Co. and Houston-based enter Michigan in Lenawee County the 250 miles will be in Michigan. ny does not need to seek a rate hike Those 55 miles are mostly rural approval from the commission to © Entire contents copyright 2016 and run along existing utility corri- pay for it, the company said. by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. dors, so the companies do not ex- Nexus will be able to carry 1.5 bil- crainsdetroit.com Vol. 32 No 10 $2 a copy. $59 a year. pect to meet much resistance from lion cubic feet per day. For perspec- property owners here, although they tive: The amount of gas it sends out have faced some blowback in Ohio. every day on the utility side of its In Washtenaw, it will join with a business is 0.8 billion cubic feet. DTE pipeline that connects to hubs The project is a major one for a in Ontario and the Chicago area. segment little known to DTE cus- The project began in 2013. The tomers, who think of the company companies are still working to get NEWSPAPER all the relevant approvals and per- SEE PIPELINE, PAGE 21 20160307-NEWS--0002-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 3/4/2016 3:51 PM Page 1 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // MARCH 7, 2016 2014, have opened a stand-alone to protect the public, auditors said MICHIGAN coffee shop and restaurant in Friday. A report by the state auditor INSIDE Eaton Rapids. general found that staffers in the THIS ISSUE According to a Lansing State DEQ’s drinking water office failed to BANKRUPTCIES . 7 CALENDAR . 15 Journal report on the new Mark’s order the city to treat its water with CLASSIFIED ADS . 17 Place , the couple had wanted to cre- anti-corrosion chemicals as it DEALS & DETAILS . 16 ate a community-oriented venture, switched to the Flint River in 2014, OPINION . 6 BRIEFS even if it required a lot of sweat eq- The Associated Press reported. The OTHER VOICES . 6 uity. They did it on a small budget, city had been using Lake Huron PEOPLE . 16 Republicans offer little might have believed Trump has a investing $25,000 into the renova- water from Detroit but made the RUMBLINGS . 22 about state in city debate good shot at winning Michigan, tion of the 2,200-square-foot Main change to save money. WEEK ON THE WEB . 22 and thus decided to test other Street space and doing most of the Ⅲ The future of Oklahoma ener- In their debate last week at the candidates on the issues. But, he work themselves after moving up- gy magnate Aubrey McClendon’s Fox Theatre in Detroit, Republican added, it also reflected an overall stairs with their 7-year-old child. planned development in the dunes COMPANY INDEX: presidential candidates fielded lack of time and attention paid to “We recycled everything that overlooking Lake Michigan in SEE PAGE 21 Michigan-centric questions about statewide issues given that the we used,” Krysta McGee said. “We Saugatuck Township became even Flint’s lead water crisis and infra- debate was held here. found skills that we didn’t know more uncertain with his sudden structure, the possibility of a federal Kall earlier told Crain’s he we had.” death last week, MLive.com report- censing agreement with New Jer- bailout for Detroit Public Schools, thought Flint’s water crisis and the The new business replaces Mark’s ed. The planned development with sey-based Merck for the use of and jobs. automotive industry, to name two, Gourmet Dogs, which the McGees high-end homes, a resort and golf AureoGen’s proprietary chemistry But with Michigan’s presidential might play more prominently. closed in December after a year and course was in question even before and compounds. The science has primary set for Tuesday, Fox News Michigan landed Thursday’s Re- a half as a specialty hot dog vendor McClendon, 56, was killed in a fiery helped produce derivatives that Channel moderators held off until publican debate and a scheduled at the Lansing Mall. A grand opening crash in Oklahoma City, the day show promise in fighting diseases the debate’s second hour to ask a debate Sunday in Flint between De- is set for March 11. after the part-owner of the National that impact organ transplant re- question aimed specifically at the mocratic presidential candidates The McGees would like for Basketball Association’s Oklahoma cipients, AIDS patients and oth- state’s voters. And even then, Michi- Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders people to gather at their place for City Thunder was indicted in Okla- ers. AureoGen did not disclose gan questions took up fewer than 10 not only as the state formally kicks live music and other events. “It’s homa for rigging bids for oil and how much Merck is paying as part minutes of a roughly two-hour off its presidential election season, cool because it’s our place,” Mark natural gas leases while he was CEO of the agreement. broadcast. but as it deals with the escalating McGee said. “We can do whatever of Chesapeake Energy. McClendon Ⅲ Plans call for creating a 19th Interestingly, GOP front-runner fallout from a lead-poisoning crisis we want.” was accused of similar bid-rigging century-styled business district in and businessman Donald Trump in Flint’s drinking water.