DETROIT – Revere Dock was busted months ago after a dock collapsed into the Detroit River leaving a huge hole.
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The investigation revealed they were operating illegally.
Since then, there are still violations that have not been fixed.
The public is demanding answers.
The Revere Dock collapsed in November, spilling contaminated soil into the Detroit River. Seven months later, there is still a ponded area, the seawall has not been fixed and there are other concerning issues discovered.
The Local 4 Defenders visited the dock along Jefferson Avenue to see what progress has been made and found the company is still operating without a certificate of compliance.
A large pile of aggregate that was not allowed on the property was found and the company was cited, fined and eventually went to court. In May, Revere Dock agreed to fix the situation.
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“That agreement gave them 45 days to do a lot of the things that need to get done,” said Detroit attorney Lawrence Garcia. “That 45 days hasn’t quite run out, so we’ll be impatient and aggravated if we’re having the same conversion 10 days from now. As it stands right now, we’re still hopeful that these folks are going to make the deadline.”
Local 4 Defenders flew a drone over the site to see progress -- the aggregate is gone, but there are still concerns that are not fixed.
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According to the city of Detroit, the violations that still need to be remediated include:
- Secure the required Certificate of Compliance.
- Pay inspection fees ($4,020.00).
- Obtain the required permit for change of use as Outdoor Storage.
- Submit a Certificate of Operation for bulk material storage.
- Remove all bulk storage until a permit is finalized and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued for an outside bulk storage.
“They have done some of the things that need to get done, so I give them a little bit of slack because of COVID-19, a little bit of credit for some of the things that they have done,” Garcia said. “But there’s still a lot to do.”
During a recent virtual public hearing held by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, residents spoke up about their concerns and vocalized their distrust in a company that hasn’t given the situation the urgency residents believe it requires.
EGLE is considering Revere Dock’s current restoration plan, but no decision has been made.
Revere Dock said if their plan is approved, it would take about six months to complete.
Officials with the city of Detroit said the company has paid $63,000 to resolve the outstanding violations. Detroit Bulk Storage, who leases the land, still owes the city $62,790.