“Michigan’s most toxic ZIP code” – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

“Michigan’s most toxic ZIP code”

I don’t live in Detroit, or better yet even Michigan. I didn’t even know that Detroit was in Michigan until I came to the University of Michigan. And yet, here I was falling more and more passionate with a city I am still discovering for myself. Through different extracirricular acitivities I’m invovled with, talking with residents from the community, and learning about the city from class, I thought I knew most of the picture by now. But little did I realize an entire side of Southwest Detroit that was struggling in their enviornmental issues.

Perhaps some of you guys already know of this area, perhaps some of you don’t such as me: 48217. From my project and interacting with my co-workers/supervisor, interning at Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision has taught a great deal of an area in this Detroit community that was being neglected. If you guys have time, I really suggest reading this article that gave a thorough explanation of the situation that my supervisor directly recommended me. If you’re drowning at work and the last thing you want to do is look at the computer screen for longer, totally understandable. 48217 is known to be one of the most, if not THE most polluted ZIP code in Michigan where more than 7,000 residents are surrounded by toxic chemicals wafting from steel mills, heavy-duty trucks coming to and from factories, coal-fired power plants, and one of the nation’s largest oil refineries. And the people here are dying, where more than 650 Detroiters die from just the air pollution alone a year, and negative health effects are seen everywhere impacting the residents from higher rates of asthma, miscarriages, and respiratory problems.

With the COVID-19 situation of quarantine taking place, sometimes we see many articles (or at least I have) hailing this situation as a benefit to the environment. But in areas such as this, there has been little to no difference. One of my responsibilities as an intern is to post on SDEV’s social media air quality reports of Southwest Detroit using an online air quality tool. Consistently, I still see high dangerous levels of ozone and PM2.5 pollutant, making it dangerous for people with lung disease to be participating in strenuous activity. With COVID attacking people’s respiratory systems, the current situation only makes it worse for residents in this area.

I was fortunate to be on a community conference call with one of the oil refineries. Towards the end when they were accepting questions, I just remember so vividly one of the residents speaking out of how it’s great and all that the oil company is managing to do well during these times but death rates are the highest in the exact area where the refinery is. What were they doing about that? Did they even care about the community members of the area directly being affected by all this? And the pain and anger in this women’s voice over a zoom call was an emotional moment for me, sitting in New Jersey wondering what could I do to help?

And through this overwhelming sense of hopelessness, my supervisor told me very bluntly, people suck! And most of these people who suck don’t usually change. But the people who can change are organizations such as SDEV who will do everything they can to listen to the people and fight for those without a voice. So, as I approach the end of week 3, I hope I’m able to say proudly the same thing of the work I will accomplish at SDEV with hope at the end of week 9.

1 thought on ““Michigan’s most toxic ZIP code””

  1. Wow! This was such an interesting read. I feel as though I hear about environmental racism, but after reading about your experience this makes it all the more real. I hope something is done for the people in 48217, they deserve better.

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