ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 3, 2022 — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced that Tribar Manufacturing had released a large amount of hexavalent chromium into the Huron River near Wixom. Tribar is the same polluter responsible for repeated releases of PFAS that have resulted in “do not eat” advisories on fish and contamination of Ann Arbor’s drinking water. Ann Arbor, which draws 85 percent of its drinking water from the river, may have to implement enhanced water treatment in the coming weeks, when the hexavalent chromium reaches the city’s drinking water intake.
In response to the incident, state Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor) issued the following statement:
“This polluter cannot be allowed to continue endangering the lives and livelihoods of everyone who lives along the Huron River. I urge EGLE and the attorney general to do everything in their power to shut Tribar down and to recover the costs of cleanup, economic damage and Ann Arbor’s additional municipal water treatment. Taxpayers and ratepayers should not be on the hook for corporate negligence. It’s time polluters pay to clean up their own messes.”