LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 10, 2024) — Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) has issued the statement below regarding the proposed Stellantis air quality permit. The request, made by the FCA Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit, is to modify their current permit to add the operation of a second air pollution control device and to increase how much particulate matter they are allowed to emit as a result of that pollution control device. Sen. Chang submitted written public comment yesterday and spoke at the public hearing on September 5.
“EGLE should reject or significantly modify the proposed permit which increases particulate matter emissions in an area that the EPA predicts will be out of attainment in less than 10 years. The American Lung Association recently gave Wayne County an ‘F’ for particulate matter. Now is simply not the time to increase particulate matter emissions. Residents living in the vicinity of the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant have endured several years of health problems, ongoing air quality violations at the facility, a consent order process, and more. Many East Side residents have asthma. Others have experienced headaches, nausea and/or respiratory problems. It is important that our state government prioritizes the consideration of public health with regard to permitting.
“While I understand the importance of a functioning second regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO2) to mitigate the odor problems that residents have experienced from the paint shop and that led to the recent consent order, it is very troubling that this new air quality permit includes an overall increase in PM2.5 and PM10 emissions from the Stellantis facility. Particulate matter emissions can have detrimental impacts on the health of those living close to the facility, including cardiopulmonary problems and premature mortality. Residents have been put in a quandary, an unfair position, where it seems the choice is either odor problems or particulate matter problems. They deserve to have neither problem.
“I urge EGLE to use its expertise, authority and precedent from the Marathon Oil Refinery sulfur dioxide permit issue in 2016 to force Stellantis to develop a strategy to lower PM2.5 emissions elsewhere at its Detroit facilities to lead to a net zero impact on particulate matter. EGLE should either reject the permit application or modify it significantly as needed to lead to the result that East Side residents deserve.”
The written public comment Sen. Chang submitted yesterday can be found here.