The petcoke piles has been an ongoing topic within the news and the Sierra Club office. We have made a few efforts against the existence of these huge black piles that lay on the riverside including tours, comments to city council and even a rally. However, August 1st was the hearing at city council of what should be done to and/or with these unwanted piles. On Wednesday July 31, 2013 the owner of the land where the piles reside was required to answer to the Detroit Land Use Committee. One of the major problems with the storage of the petcoke on that particular piece of land is Detroit Bulk Storage, the owners of the land, never received a permit for the petcoke to be placed on their land. Along with this the petcoke is said to be toxic, especially to the nearby citizens who must deal with the fugitive dust. Also there is a problem concerning the petcoke entering the Detroit river and possibly contaminating our source of water and fish. All of these issues were discussed at the public hearing and from the looks of it the city of Detroit is not happy with Bulk Storage. According to Boss Lady Rhonda it would be a huge surprise if at the end of all this the city decides to issue a permit to allow the petcoke piles to remain. I’m counting on the city to make the best decision for its citizens and its environment. REMOVE PETCOKE!
