Air monitoring has discovered levels of TCE (trichloroethylene) outside the Diamond Chrome Plating facility at 604 S. Michigan Ave. in southwest Howell high enough to create a public health hazard, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (DGLE).
A public meeting to discuss the situation is set for 7-9 p.m Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Parker Middle School, 400 Wright Road in Howell. Attendees are asked to use the entrance off D-19.
The chemical is used to remove grease from metal parts. There is concern that TCE has moved from Diamond Chrome Plating into the outdoor air and into nearby buildings. Diamond Chrome’s ongoing environmental investigation found TCE and related chemicals in groundwater and in soil above allowable amounts in sewer line corridors beyond its property, some of which lead into buildings, including homes.
Exposure to elevated levels of TCE may affect developing fetuses, as well as compromise immune systems and increase the risk of developing kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Diamond Chrome has stopped the release of TCE in compliance with an order from the Livingston County Health Department developed in consultation with the MDHHS and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.