A toxic controversy is heating up in southwest Detroit over an abandoned and contaminated park owned by Detroit Public Schools that sits in the shadow of the Marathon Oil refinery.
Jim Lynch of the Detroit News reports that residents were angry after seeing men in biohazard suits preparing to plant trees at the Bridgeview Park for the non-profit organization, The Greening of Detroit. The trees eventually are supposed to soak up contaminants in the soil including arsenic and lead.
The Detroit News writes:
On Monday, a dozen neighborhood residents met with Greening of Detroit officials at the park to voice their frustrations. Among the concerns are potential health threats caused by digging up contaminated soils, increases in the local rodent population and their lack of input on the project.
“This is unconscionable — against humanity,” said resident Emma Lockridge. “I say you’re doing this only because we’re black people. You would never go into Ferndale and do this. You would never go into Southfield and do this, go into a Birmingham playground and just start digging and treating people like guinea pigs.”
Greening of Detroit’s Dean Hay explained how dendroremediation — the planting of trees and plants to remove contamination — eventually would benefit the community. The organization is doing its best to address the situation with the limited grant money it has received, Hay said.
