Overview:
- Theresa Landrum, a lifelong resident of Detroit's 48217 zip code, testifies in federal bench trial of EPA lawsuit over Zug Island pollution.
- “My 16-year-old niece, since the time she was born, she’s never breathed clean air,” Landrum says.
- The judge in the case says he will decide on DTE Energy's liability for pollution from its Zug Island subsidiary at the end of the trial.
Lifelong residents of neighborhoods near Zug Island’s EES Coke Battery said in federal court testimony Tuesday they’ve halted outdoor activities due to the impact air pollution has on their health.
Theresa Landrum, a 71-year resident of zip code 48217 and Sierra Club member, said her environmental activism evolved to be a “personal necessity,” and not “her calling,” as Khalilah Spencer, an attorney representing DTE Energy and EES Coke Battery, said during cross-examination.
The testimony comes in the ongoing federal bench trial of the EPA’s Clean Air Act lawsuit against DTE Energy-owned EES Coke Battery.
Residents in Southwest Detroit have the same right to breathe clean air as those who don’t have EES Coke Battery in their backyard, Landrum said.
“My 16-year-old niece, since the time she was born, she’s never breathed clean air,” Landrum said.
The activist said she keeps her windows closed, runs central air constantly, and stopped riding her bike in Boynton, her Detroit neighborhood. After going near EES Coke Battery, Landrum said she must lie down for two hours afterwards.
“It’s like a big, giant, black monster,” Landrum said of the Zug Island facility. “The air is dusty, cloudy, you can smell it, taste it, your eyes burn.”
Pollution ‘quite traumatic’ for older adults in 48217 zip code
Dolores Leonard, a resident of 48217 since 1957, described when the skies of River Rouge were “red-orange.”
It wasn’t until she ventured outside of her neighborhood that she learned “that was not normal,” the Detroit resident said during direct examination by Nick Leonard, an attorney representing the Sierra Club in the lawsuit.
The impact of pollution on older adults in Leonard’s community is “quite traumatic,” she said, adding that she’s reduced her gardening time from eight hours a day to one due to a tight feeling in her chest from being outside too long.
Leonard’s inability to be outside in her neighborhood, coupled with COVID-19 precautions, keeps her in her garage while her grandchildren play outdoors, she said.
“That’s not really a visit,” she said.
Vicki Dobbins, a Sierra Club advocate who lives in River Rouge about 1 mile from Zug Island, said she does not ride her bike in her neighborhood, as “you can see the particles on your porch, on your car.”
Elayne Coleman, director of Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, said the environmental organization, which has around 700 members in Wayne County, seeks air purifiers for homes in River Rouge and the 48217 zip code and funds to support community projects like Eden Park.
Planet Detroit previously reported on Eden Park, the green space with a design that calls for pollution-capturing mechanical trees, gathering areas, and a secure garden for people with Alzheimer’s.
When DTE attorney Spencer asked Coleman if she would like to see EES Coke Battery shut down, Coleman said no.
“I would like to see EES come into compliance with federal law,” Coleman said.
A DTE Energy lawyer requested a decision Monday on whether the utility is liable for the Clean Air Act violations of its Zug Island subsidiary. U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain said Tuesday that he will hold off on the decision until the end of the trial.
🗳️ Civic next steps: How you can get involved
Why it matters
⚡ A bench trial in a federal lawsuit filed by the EPA could determine the future of a Zug Island facility owned by DTE Energy that is one of Michigan’s top industrial polluters.
Who’s making civic decisions
🏛️ U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain.
Read more:
• Planet Detroit’s coverage of the first, second, and third day of the trial.
• 📄 Drain’s August recent opinion and order that states DTE Energy is an operator of EES Coke Battery under the Clean Air Act.
• 🏭 EPA overview of New Source Review permits.
• 🗞️ Planet Detroit’s coverage of air pollution on Zug Island.
Track air quality:
• 😷 Check local air quality.
• 🚨 Sign up for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s air quality alerts.
Attend:
• 🧑⚖️ The bench trial continues on weekdays in courtroom 761 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 231 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226.
What to watch for next
• ⚖️ A federal court ruling on the EPA’s lawsuit against EES Coke Battery.
⭐ Please let us know what action you took or if you have any additional questions. Please send a quick email to connect@planetdetroit.org.
MORE ZUG ISLAND TRIAL COVERAGE
DTE Energy lawyer asks judge to decide on utility’s liability for Zug Island air pollution
DTE’s motion comes during the bench trial of an EPA lawsuit over sulfur dioxide emissions from EES Coke Battery on Zug Island.
Pollution controls would cut sulfur dioxide from Zug Island by 95%: EPA engineer
Until pollution controls are installed, a Zug Island facility will continue to emit about 3,000 tons of sulfur dioxide per year, an EPA environmental engineer says in court testimony.
Zug Island pollution causes premature deaths, Harvard epidemiologist says
A Harvard epidemiologist testifies on the social costs incurred by air pollution from Zug Island’s EES Coke Battery.