Years ago, the City sued Pall Life Sciences (PLS) seeking clean up of pollution eminating from PLS's Wagner Road facility. That
suit was concluded with a rather timid settlement agreement between the
City and Pall. We have up loaded the settlement agreement because it
does contain some ongoing duties for Pall and some limitations on
actions the City can take. Click here for the settlement agreement. Click here for an old Ann Arbor News article. Dioxane is a chemical solvent stabilizer that can cause cancer in laboratory animals. Here in Ann Arbor, 1,4-dioxane was used as a solvent for cellulose acetate, a component of micro-porous filters produced by Gelman Sciences (now owned by Pall Life Sciences). In humans, 1,4 dioxane is a probable carcinogen and the routes of exposure are either ingestion, inhalation or contact with the skin. Animal studies of dioxane have relied upon acute exposure (a small number of exposures at high concentrations), and the effects of 1,4 dioxane in its diluted form over a long period of time (chronic exposure) are largely unknown. (This paragraph was copied from the Protect our Neighborhoods web FAQ) Three important developments in this story are: (1) the DEQ is supposed to adopt new standards for 1,4 dioxane; (2) Pall has stopped operating its Wagner Road facility and may leave the country; (3) Judge Donald Shelton is on the verge of retirement (2014) and a new Judge will oversee this problem once he leaves the bench. News Stories April 22, 2016 - DEQ discusses Superfund cleanup option for Gelman plume March 29, 2016 - Is your water safe from dioxane? Here's how to get it tested January 24, 2016 - In aftermath of Flint, will state address Ann Arbor's water concerns? Older Articles AnnArborDotCom September 4, 2013 article - Ann Arbor calls on DEQ to tighten standards for dioxane cleanup: 'It's way overdue' AnnArborDotCom September 1, 2013 article - Pall-Gelman dioxane plume: Ann Arbor officials want stricter cleanup criteria to stop spread AnnArborDotCom May 18, 2013 article - Pall Corp.'s closing Ann Arbor facility could be sold without affecting dioxane remediation Ann Arbor Chronicle April 7, 2011 article - Residents Frustrated by Dioxane Decision (this is an excellent history of the subject) Ann Arbor News January 7, 2004 article - Pall, Ann Arbor settle lawsuit. The Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane (CARD) is a partnership of local governments and citizens that develops policies and strategies to address the problems caused by 1,4-dioxane released by Pall/Gelman. Scio Residents for Safe Water is a citizens group concerned about the 1,4-dioxane plume. Its members include Roger Rayle who has been working on this issue for decades. MDEQ page devoted to Gelman Pollution site Here is a link to a timeline of events https://sites.google.com/site/srsworg/Home/images/timeline---pall-gelman-site |
Current Issues >