LIVONIA, Mich. – Residents who live near Ford's Livonia transmission plant claim they've dealt with toxic chemicals for years.
MORE: Lawsuit claims Ford spilled 12 million gallons of chemicals underground in Livonia
Residents hope a lawsuit filed against the automaker will yield compensation for those who have allegedly been harmed by the chemicals from the plant.
Ford installed mitigation systems to stop the toxins from spreading, but residents don't think it's enough.
"It doesn't matter that it's Ford. It doesn't matter that it's a gazillion dollar company," resident Kathy Gardner said.
Ford released a statement responding to concerns:
“Ford is committed to protecting the health of our people and neighbors, and the environment around us. We long ago acknowledged and have been actively addressing a matter that resulted from practices more than 40 years ago, in cooperation with the state’s office of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy. Every indication is there is no health risk to residents, including through drinking water. There has been no detection of the compound, vinyl chloride, in samplings of the air inside the homes, or in sub-slabs and sump pumps. We have installed and activated systems to limit the spread of the issue. Also, EGLE asked that we install systems to vent potential vapors from beneath select homes in the neighborhood, so that any vapors don’t enter homes. We will continue to keep the community informed of our progress through mailings, a dedicated website and other means.”