Conservation Corner – September 2022

Hexavalent what?!?!?

There has been a quite a bit of troubling environmental news in our area lately. The most recent of which is a spill of Hexavalent Chromium into the Huron River near Wixom. A manufacturing plant reported the spill and the Michigan DNR has been testing the affected waters. There currently is a “No Contact” advisory for the Huron River between north Wixom road and Kensington road. Amounts detected have been small and the recent rains have helped to dilute out the toxin. Hexavalent chromium is a known cancer-causing agent that was used in manufacturing processes such as metal plating, leather tanning and as a wood preservative. How the spill happened and exactly how much spilled is still being investigated.

This hexavalent chromium spill and the recent years news of PFAS (per and poly fluorinated substances) also being found in Michigan waters has had a very troubling effect on many outdoor activities. We must all do our part to help find and report such events. Some clues to look for are: Foam floating on water, plant and fish die offs, unusual color or smell of a lake or stream. When you see something like this please contact Oakland County 24 hour hotline
(248-858-0931), EGLE (1.800.662.9278), The Clinton River Watershed Counsel ( 248.601.0606), or any local
authority (Fire, Police etc). You can also help by cleaning out your home and garage of hazardous substances. There are several “No-Haz” Collection events where you can drop off old paint, solvents, fuels etc.. Contact wrmd@oakgov.com for a list of upcoming events.

Yours in Conservation,
Chris Finazzo
248.778.5253
finpharmer@comcast.net