Runny eyes, dry throats: Detroiters want compensation for Stellantis pollution

Don’t put away your N-95s just yet, Detroit!

Stellantis emitted more volatile organic compounds than the 4.8 pounds per vehicle permitted at the [Jefferson North Assembly] plant, resulting in a November 2022 violation notice from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Volatile organic compounds are air pollutants associated with paints and solvents that have been linked to various health issues and contribute to the formation of harmful ozone. Exposure to VOC vapors can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and other side effects.

The November violation was the seventh of eight air quality violations for Stellantis’ Detroit plants since 2021. Erin Moran, enforcement officer for EGLE’s Air Quality Division, said during the online meeting that the department’s enforcement power is limited mainly to issuing fines.

Emphasis mine

“We don’t have the authority to shut down a company. There’s very limited circumstances in which we will be able to consider a situation like that,” Moran said.

Jeremy Orr, environmental law professor at Michigan State University, challenged that. “To say that the state, that EGLE, has no authority to shut them (Stellantis) down is incorrect,” Orr said. “EGLE could easily initiate a complaint with the attorney general… to revoke the license or revoke the permit or shut the business down given ongoing violations, even in the midst of a consent decree.”

I’d think cessation of the toxic pollution would be preferable to compensation. But ¯\_(ツ)_/¯