Sanilac Co. site connected to ‘green ooze’ owner

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Environmental agencies are investigating a property in Sanilac County’s Marion Township which is owned by the same man whose facility spewed carcinogenic “green ooze” onto I-696 in Oakland County earlier this month.

Gary Sayers, 77, who is being held in federal prison, is listed as the owner of property at 4171 Loree Road, Marion Township.

Jill Greenberg, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy spokeswoman, confirmed the department is sending officials to the Sanilac County property today.  

She said the property was last inspected in 2017 and no hazardous materials were found. 

According to county property records, Sayers bought the Marion Township property in 2014 and lists a Petoskey home address. 

Sayers was sentenced in November to one year in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally storing hazardous materials at a metal plating firm he inherited in Madison Heights, the Detroit Free Press reported

Kurt Shubel, Marion Township supervisor and zoning administrator, said he first heard concerns about the property from residents in June. Shubel said insulation panels were reported blowing around the property, for which Shubel issued Sayers a blight citation. 

Later, Shubel applied for a permit to build a pole barn to house building materials. Shubel said the permit was approved and included a condition that no toxic building materials be stored there. Shubel had heard that Sayers was involved in building demolition. 

“When they tear down buildings, you don’t know what’s in there,” Shubel said. 

State Rep. Shane Hernandez, R-Port Huron, issued a statement regarding concerns of contamination at the Marion Township site. 

“We spend hundreds of millions of dollars cleaning up the environment and protecting health,” Hernandez said in the statement. “Citizens demand that their tax dollars are spent effectively to protect public health and they expect the state to respond quickly and effectively any time public health may be jeopardized. ” 

He said the state House Appropriations Committee would schedule hearings on the issue. 

“These hearings will focus on what state environmental quality officials knew about possible contamination when they knew about it, and what was done in response.” 

Sanilac County officials are also addressing the property.

Sanilac County Emergency Management put out a press release Friday: 

“The Office of Emergency Management has received inquiries concerning a parcel of property located in Marion Township. This Parcel has connection to the currently active Hazardous Material incident in Oakland County. Emergency Management visited the site yesterday and has contacted EGLE concerning this property. The representative of EGLE informed us that the site was inspected in 2017 and no Hazardous Materials were found on the site at that time. A copy of that report has been requested.

“Emergency Management has also requested a re-inspection of the property to ensure there is no Hazardous Material or other Public Health issues at this location.

“Emergency Management will continue to monitor this situation, and will provide updates as they become available.

“Anyone with concerns or information of this location please contact Director Todd Hillman, Sanilac County Emergency Management at 810-648-8357.”

According to a sentencing memorandum Sayers was born and educated in Detroit. 

“At times he appears confused and he is always somewhat disheveled. Prior to his plea, he reported to be living out of his car. He reports supporting himself by scrapping metal at his Commonwealth property and selling off his assets,” the memorandum reads in part. 

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Jeremy Ervin covers environment, education and more. Contact him at (810) 989-6276 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ErvinJeremy

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