Bags found at Detroit demolition site contain asbestos

City police and the state Department of Environmental Quality are investigating who dumped the bags.


Michigan state test results show bags dumped near a blight demolition site in southwest Detroit contained asbestos, a report by the Detroit Free Press says. Detroit police and the state Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have opened an investigation on who dumped the bags.

Local demolition company Farrow Group Inc., Detroit, found the bags inside of a shed on the property on May 2. The company halted work and notified the state and city that the bags may contain asbestos. The bags were removed from the site on May 4, and tests confirmed they contained 0.25 percent Chrysotile asbestos.

MDEQ Public Information Officer Melody Kindraka told the Detroit Free Press that the amount was “well below the regulatory threshold” to be considered regulated. It is still unclear where the bags came from, but state investigation related to the property discovered that asbestos was abated from the house without state notice.

The state identified Air Technology Systems  of Detroit as the company who performed the abatement and MDEQ issued a violation notice for failure to provide 10-day notice before abatement. The notice was also sent to the city, the Detroit Land Bank Authority and the Detroit Building Authority.

An attorney representing Air Technology Systems told the Detroit Free Press the company denies that it failed to notice the proper authorities and plans to repeal the issued violation.