Report on the License Renewal of US Ecology Detroit South and Opposition
On December 17, 2025, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued a renewed 10-year operating license to the US Ecology Detroit South hazardous waste treatment and storage facility at 1923 Frederick Street in Detroit. The decision concludes a comprehensive review process that included a public comment period from July 31 to September 26, 2025.
The renewed license incorporates several strengthened conditions designed to address historical issues and improve environmental protections. Key new requirements include:
Enhanced Monitoring: Expanded air and groundwater quality monitoring.
Infrastructure Upgrade: Replacement of six existing treatment tanks with new, upgraded designs, with work set to begin in January 2026.
Odor Control Mandate: Implementation of a state-enforceable Odor Management Plan and installation of odor control equipment by December 31, 2027.
The decision was met with significant opposition from a coalition of community groups, residents, and elected officials who had advocated for the facility's shutdown. The primary opposition includes:
Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments (DHCAHE)
A leading community organization that mobilized residents and held press conferences. Reverend Sharon Buttry, the group's board secretary, stated that while the new requirements show community efforts made a difference, the facility must undertake major renovations to address the core quality-of-life issues caused by odors.
Elected Officials
State Representative Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit): Strongly condemned the renewal, stating that "EGLE is further decimating already overburdened communities" and pushing the basic right to clean air further out of reach.
State Representative Tonya Myers Phillips: Asserted that "every family... has a right to breathe clean air" and that no permits should be issued until the facility demonstrates it has followed the rules.
Wayne County Commissioner Martha Scott: Sponsored a resolution, unanimously approved by the Wayne County Commission on October 2, 2025, opposing the license renewal. She declared that "no one should have to endure what people living near this site have had to endure".
Residents
Neighbors have documented persistent problems, describing odors as resembling "rotten fish, lime, and weird chemical smells," "burning chemicals," and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Resident KT Morelli argued that EGLE has "tolerated serial permit violators for too long" and called for operations to be shut down until the odor problem is resolved.
Context of Opposition
The opposition is grounded in the facility's long history of environmental violations. According to state records, US Ecology Detroit South has received dozens of air quality violations since 2014. As recently as October 20, 2025, EGLE issued a violation notice following an odor complaint, documenting "persistent and objectionable fishy/oily/gas odors". Residents argue that these chronic issues, impacting a community already burdened by legacy industrial pollution, warranted denial of the license rather than renewal with new conditions.
In summary, while EGLE's renewed license imposes stricter operational controls on US Ecology Detroit South, the decision has intensified a longstanding environmental justice conflict. The state positioned the new requirements as a proactive step for greater oversight, whereas community advocates and their political representatives view the renewal as a regulatory failure to protect public health and quality of life in an overburdened neighborhood. The effectiveness of the mandated Odor Management Plan and infrastructure upgrades by 2027 will be a critical measure of this regulatory approach.