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Owner of toxic green ooze site in new legal battle over Detroit property

Gary Sayers in another legal battle after getting out of prison

DETROITGary Sayers, the owner of the toxic green ooze site in Madison Heights, is now in a legal battle over possible contamination at his property in Detroit.

MORE: Photos, records show Madison Heights building at center of toxic ooze case has been unsafe for years

Sayers just got out of prison. He fought every step of the way to keep investigators out of his properties, and now he’s doing so again.

Last year, a Madison Heights building owned by Sayers leaked toxic green ooze onto a roadway.

Officials want his Detroit property cleaned up so they can test to see if contamination has spread into the ground. The Detroit dump is filled with debris and chemicals, which causes concern for the city, the state and environmental watchdogs.

State officials want to go onto the property. They also want Sayers to clean up so critical testing can be done.

But investigators said Sayers is blocking them through is attorney.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy asked that the property be cleared of machinery, materials and debris in order to be assessed. To date, Sayers’ attorney hasn’t responded to requests for access.

That is keeping EGLE from investigating possible soil and groundwater contamination.

“A complete assessment of this site is extraordinarily important,” an EGLE spokesperson said. “Commonwealth has a history of heavy industrial use spanning 100 years. We are currently weighing available options that would allow us to move forward. Protecting the environment and public health remains a top priority.”

Sayers has also been working to block the demolition of his Madison Heights building. A court appearance scheduled for June was delayed by his attorney until July. That could be another stall tactic, experts said.


About the Authors
Hank Winchester headshot

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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