10 US Ecology South Back | Next 12 Metropolitan Alloys Corp
3405 Gaylord St, Detroit MI 48211
Industrial stormwater / construction (municipal enforcement 2022)
At-A-Glance
Address: Cadillac Heights district, Detroit MI
Ownership: Crown Enterprises (Moroun family)
Type: Concrete batch / mixing plant
Permits: Local permits; enforcement actions 2024–2025
Pollutants: PM (cement dust), diesel PM
Violations: Stop-work 2024; active Council / legal review (Oct 2025)
Enforcement: City enforcement & Council records
Receptors: Homes within ~0.2 mi
Community: Protests and closure push (Oct 10 2025)
Sources: Detroit Open Data – Building Permits | BridgeDetroit coverage
Verified: October 2025
Kronos Concrete began site work in 2022 on Crown Enterprises property within the Cadillac Heights industrial area. City inspectors issued a Stop‑Work Order that year for building without final approvals. Residents continue to report dust, diesel odors, and runoff from unpaved areas. EGLE has conducted complaint visits focused on stormwater and dust control. While no state Violation Notice is posted, municipal enforcement and continued complaints keep the site under scrutiny as development proceeds.
Violations: municipal stop‑work (2022) • Complaints: dust/noise (ongoing)
Sources: Planet Detroit 2024; Detroit BSEED
Kronos Concrete LLC is a new ready-mix concrete facility (opened 2022) in Detroit’s Cadillac Heights neighborhood. Owned by Crown Enterprises (the Moroun family’s real‐estate arm)bridgedetroit.com, Kronos mixes cement with aggregates to produce concrete (it does not crush concrete rubble on-sitefox2detroit.com). The plant sits on roughly 29 acres (bounded by McNichols, Moran, etc.herculesconcrete.com) in an M4 (Intensive Industrial) zone and is rated for up to ~200,000 tons of output per yearbridgedetroit.com. Company materials emphasize Kronos as a $10 million “state-of-the-art” investment with ~40–60 local workers (union drivers earning ~$33/hrherculesconcrete.commichiganpublic.org). In practice, the plant’s construction triggered immediate controversy over dust, noise, and its linkage to a 2019 Detroit–Moroun land‐swap that enabled the nearby Stellantis (Chrysler/Mack Avenue) Assembly plantbridgedetroit.complanetdetroit.org.
Fact | Data/Source |
Start of operations | 2022 (permit issued June 2022)planetdetroit.org |
Location | 3405 Gaylord St (Mercier) & 17301 Conant St, Detroit (Cadillac Heights) |
Site acreage | ~29 acresherculesconcrete.com |
Zoning | M4 Heavy Industrial (intensive)bridgedetroit.com |
Production capacity | ~200,000 tons concrete/yearbridgedetroit.com |
Employment | >40 local jobs (unionized drivers)michiganpublic.orgherculesconcrete.com |
Ownership
Kronos Concrete LLC is tied to Detroit tycoon Manuel “Matty” Moroun’s conglomerate. Its property is owned by CE Detroit Industrial Properties (a Crown Enterprises LLC subsidiary) – Crown is the Moroun family’s real‐estate armbridgedetroit.com. The plant is part of Hercules Materials Holdings, LLC, a Moroun‐owned concrete/aggregate group formed in 2020herculesconcrete.comherculesconcrete.com. Hercules Concrete, Titan, Pegasus, Zeus and Atlas are sister affiliates in Michiganherculesconcrete.com. (Manuel Moroun also founded P.A.M. Transport and Universal Logistics, and owns the Ambassador Bridge via CenTra, Inc.en.wikipedia.org.) In sum: Kronos Concrete LLC – operating arm; Crown Enterprises/CE Detroit Industrial – landowner; Hercules Materials/Hercules Concrete – managing affiliate; Moroun family – ultimate ownerbridgedetroit.comherculesconcrete.com.
Entity | Role/Relation |
Kronos Concrete LLC | Ready-mix plant operator (Detroit concrete facility) |
Crown Enterprises LLC (CE Detroit) | Property owner (Moroun family real-estate arm)bridgedetroit.com |
Hercules Materials Holdings, LLC | Moroun subsidiary (runs Kronos via affiliateherculesconcrete.com) |
Manuel Moroun (family) | Detroit billionaire; owner of Crown/Hercules and Ambassador Bridgebridgedetroit.comen.wikipedia.org |
Operations
Kronos Concrete operates a ready-mix batch plant. Cement (Portland cement, fly ash, slag) and aggregates (limestone, sand, gravel) are combined with water and chemical admixtures (plasticizers, accelerators, etc.). The plant stores raw materials in silos/piles and runs high-capacity mixers. According to company sources, it can mix ~200,000 tons of concrete per yearbridgedetroit.com. It does not crush old concrete on-site (the plant’s sign specifically notes no crushing)fox2detroit.com. Diesel-powered trucks transport material and finished concrete – surveys report constant truck traffic off McNichols and Conant. Local coverage notes the plant runs “6 days a week, 12 hours a day”michiganpublic.org. Hercules Materials emphasizes Kronos was a “state-of-the-art” investment with buffering and a landscaped berm meeting city requirementsherculesconcrete.comherculesconcrete.com. The company advertises community benefits (job fairs, church donations)herculesconcrete.comherculesconcrete.com, though residents dispute the plant’s neighborhood fit.
Operation | Description / Capacity |
Mixing capacity | ~200,000 tons/yearbridgedetroit.com (comparable to other Hercules plants) |
Workers/employees | 40–60 (local union labor)michiganpublic.orgherculesconcrete.com |
Equipment | Multiple cement silos, sand/gravel piles, concrete mixers |
Trucks | Tens of cement mixers, dump trucks (Diesel diesel PM source) |
Distribution | Ready-mix concrete delivered to construction sites (e.g. local bridges)bridgedetroit.com |
Land & Zoning
Image: Map of Detroit’s proposed rezoning along the Joe Louis Greenway (public meeting Oct 2025). The heavy-industry parcels (cross-hatched “M4”) include the Kronos site. City planners aim to downzone nearby lots from M4 to lower-intensity uses like B4 or M2.
Kronos sits on multiple tax parcels owned by Crown/CE Detroit Industrial. The core addresses are 3405 Gaylord St (corner of Gaylord & Moran, Detroit) and 17301 Conant St, plus adjacent lots along Moran, Gallagher, McNichols, etc.bridgedetroit.com. All these parcels are zoned M4 (Intensive Industrial), the heaviest industrial district in Detroit. Because of M4 zoning, concrete mixing is a permitted usebridgedetroit.com. (The Hercules description confirms “entire Kronos facility is zoned M4”herculesconcrete.com.)
There have been no official rezoning changes of the Kronos parcels, but city planning has proposed rezoning nearby greenway-adjacent parcels. In October 2025 Detroit’s Planning Commission unveiled a plan to rezone 18 M4 parcels along the new Joe Louis Greenway to commercial/mixed use (e.g. B4, M2)bridgedetroit.com. Notably, Crown owns many plots between the greenway and Kronos (the “giant eyesore” at 3405 Gaylord)bridgedetroit.com. However, the current rezoning proposal focuses on greenway fringe, not the Kronos site itselfbridgedetroit.com. Whether Kronos’s M4 zoning will be revisited (via overlay or downzoning) remains under discussion.
Land transfers/incentives: A 2019 city–Moroun land swap is central to Kronos’s story. Detroit gave Stellantis (formerly FCA/Chrysler) much of the land needed for its new Mack Avenue Assembly plant in exchange for parcels including the current Kronos site. City Councilmember Benson says the mayor “cut a deal” giving Kronos’s land to Crown as part of that swapbridgedetroit.com. The swap (approved 6–3 in 2019bridgedetroit.com) enabled 5,000 auto jobs but also transferred 29 Detroit parcels to Moroun/Crown, on which the Kronos plant now stands. (Council approval required any redevelopment to comply with zoningbridgedetroit.com.) No special city tax breaks or abatements for Kronos are on record; it simply benefits from the M4 zoning.
Parcel/Address | Area (acres) | Owner (2025) | Zoning |
3405 Gaylord St | ~9 | Crown Enterprises (Moroun)bridgedetroit.com | M4 Heavy Industrialbridgedetroit.com |
17301 Conant St | ~3 | Crown (CE Detroit Ind. Prop) | M4 |
Moran (several lots) | ~5 | Crown | M4 |
Gallagher/McDougall | combined ~10 | Crown | M4 |
McNichols (frontage) | ~2 | Crown | M4 |
Compliance & Violations
City (BSEED/DAH): The city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering & Environmental Department (BSEED) first encountered Kronos in mid-2022. After construction had begun without permits, BSEED issued a stop-work order in June 2022 and ordered site cleanupplanetdetroit.org. (Within months, Cronos applied for and received all required permits to rebuild legallyplanetdetroit.org.) Since then, Kronos has operated under city oversight. The firm submitted a fugitive dust control plan (as required by Detroit’s new dust ordinance, see Policy below) and has been subject to regular inspections. The city reports that an environmental inspector visits Kronos about three times a week and has seen no ongoing violations of the fugitive dust rulesbridgedetroit.comclickondetroit.com. BSEED Director Crystal Rogers affirmed in early 2025 that Kronos is “in compliance with” Detroit’s fugitive dust ordinancebridgedetroit.com. A few minor code violations were noted (e.g. spillage, maintenance), but officials say these were promptly corrected with no need for finesclickondetroit.com. To date there are no published stop-work orders or consent judgments active on the property. (Protesters claim one dust complaint was “resolved through a consent agreement”bridgedetroit.com, but city leaders say that formal adjudication records have not been released.)
State (EGLE): No public EGLE enforcement or violation records for Kronos have been reported. Because the plant claims its output falls below state permit thresholds, it is likely categorized under Michigan’s Fugitive Dust Rules (R 336.1711–1715), which exempt smaller ready-mix operations from air permitting. We found no EGLE notices of violation, Rule 901 nuisance findings, or state consent orders specific to Kronos. (By contrast, larger contractors or recyclers in Detroit have faced EGLE actions on dust.)
Federal (EPA): No EPA or federal enforcement actions specifically name Kronos. The EPA’s EJ-focused Region 5 has not publicly intervened, and national ECHO records show no EPA NOVs on this site. Kronos is not under a federal NPDES air permit. (It likely discharges only stormwater under a general industrial permit; any water quality issues would be handled by EGLE DWSD.)
Comparison to peers: Other Detroit concrete/crushing businesses have faced more stringent action. For example, the West Side Dino-Mite (Greenfield Supply) crusher agreed in 2025 to a city settlement after hundreds of dust/blight violationsplanetdetroit.org. That deal imposed dust-control measures, fines and limits on expansion – a contrast to Kronos’s relatively unopposed operation.
Agency | Action/Status (Kronos) |
City of Detroit (BSEED) | Stop-work order (June 2022)planetdetroit.org; permit granted later. Routine dust inspections (3x/week) with no fines issuedbridgedetroit.comclickondetroit.com. Kronos submitted fugitive dust plan (2024); currently in compliance with Detroit’s dust ordinancebridgedetroit.com. |
Detroit Dept. of Appeals & Hearings (DAH) | No public cases reported. No BZA variances (use permitted in M4). |
EGLE (State) | No known enforcement (no Rule 901 or fugitive dust violations recorded). (Note: other industries have faced EGLE dust fines.) |
EPA (Federal) | No known actions (no formal EPA violations or Title VI investigations specific to Kronos). |
Wayne County/Federal Court | No reported lawsuits or orders against Kronos or Crown re: operations. |
Environmental & Health Impacts
Residents and experts cite several environmental/health concerns: airborne dust (PM), silica, diesel exhaust, noise, and stormwater effects. Community-collected data suggest local air quality is poor. A Detroit-based community monitor (JustAir) placed near Kronos found PM₂.₅ levels above the EPA’s 24-hour standard on over 54% of monitored daysthenewlede.org. On some days readings spiked as high as 259 µg/m³ – many times over the 35 µg/m³ 24-hour EPA limitthenewlede.org. (By EPA standards, Wayne County often fails the 12 µg/m³ annual PM₂.₅ level.) While causality is not firmly established, residents blame Kronos’s fine dust (cement and silica) for breathing problems. A local scientist warned that respirable silica can cause “lung damage similar to asbestos exposure”bridgedetroit.com. Detroit’s overall air quality is among the worst in the U.S. (child asthma 14.6% vs. 8.4% statewidethenewlede.org). The Kronos site is also near a battery-recycling plant (Aevitas), an ash/incinerator (CleanEarth), a sewage plant (DWSD), and the Stellantis factory (which already has 8 recent air violations for odorsplanetdetroit.org). The cumulative industrial emissions likely contribute to respiratory stress in this predominantly Black, low-income community.
Noise and vibration are also reported: neighbors say diesel trucks rumble constantly, and jackhammers/mixers are audible into evenings. Stormwater/runoff impacts come from plant operations. Concrete washouts (truck chutes, mixer rinse) generate alkaline water (pH often >12) laden with cement solidsehs.umich.edu. If not properly contained, this slurry can kill aquatic life or clog storm drains. Best practices (per Univ. of Mich. EHS) call for on-site washout pits and pH-neutralizationehs.umich.edu – any failure here poses a risk of runoff into nearby city streets and drains.
Pollutant/Impact | Sources & Effects |
Particulate matter (PM₂.₅/PM₁₀) | Cement dust (silica, CaO, iron/alumina), aggregate fines, truck diesel PM; monitoring data show frequent exceedances near sitethenewlede.org. Chronic exposure exacerbates asthma, heart/lung disease and cancersmichiganpublic.orgthenewlede.org. |
Crystalline silica (SiO₂) | In cement and sand. Inhalation causes silicosis, lung cancerbridgedetroit.com. |
Calcium oxide (CaO dust) | Alkaline cement dust – irritant to eyes/skin/lungs. |
Diesel exhaust (PM, NOₓ, VOCs) | Heavy-truck traffic on local roads. Diesel PM (known carcinogen) and NO₂ aggravate lung disease. |
Noise/Vibration | Truck engines, mixers, loading/unloading (reported as constant loud noise by neighborswxyz.com). |
Stormwater runoff | High-pH concrete wash water and sediment; without containment, runoff can harm waterways. |
Cumulative exposure | Nearby Stellantis plant, DWSD, Clean Earth, Aevitas add to overall pollution and health burdenplanetdetroit.orgthenewlede.org. |
Community Response
Residents, faith groups, and activists have mobilized strongly against Kronos. Since 2023 local residents (many from Cadillac Heights, Conant Gardens and nearby Hamtramck) have organized under coalitions like the Detroit/Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments (Rev. Sharon Buttry) and Justice Detroit. They have held protests, public meetings, and city council appeals. By June 2025 over 800 neighbors had signed petitions demanding Kronos’s shutdownclickondetroit.com. Major demonstrations and press events have featured public figures: for example, a October 2025 rally drew former health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and State Senator Stephanie Changmichiganpublic.org, who echoed concerns about asthma and chronic lung disease from fine dustmichiganpublic.org.
Local media (BridgeDetroit, PlanetDetroit, WDIV/ClickOnDetroit, WXYZ, Fox2, Michigan Public) have extensively covered the story, amplifying community voices. In April 2025 BridgeDetroit reported neighborhood complaints of “harmful dust, noise and truck traffic” and noted Kronos’s illegal startupbridgedetroit.com. Channel 7 (WDIV) called the dust “visible” and recounted an 85-year-old resident’s account of dust settling in her homeclickondetroit.com. Station coverage often includes residents wearing masks indoors and urging officials to act.
Community representatives have also lobbied elected officials. Councilmember Scott Benson (Dist. 3) has attended meetings and is pushing a proactive rezoning of M4 parcels near residenceswxyz.combridgedetroit.com. Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero sponsored Detroit’s new fugitive dust ordinance (2024) to create enforceable dust controlsbridgedetroit.com. Councilmember Benson acknowledges Kronos’s legal standing but says he’ll work to downzone or restrict industrial uses in the districtwxyz.combridgedetroit.com. So far, no officials have intervened to close Kronos. But the City Administration (via spokesperson John Roach) has publicly said the land-swap deal was approved by council and required full compliance with lawsbridgedetroit.com.
Community advocates point to parallels with past Detroit environmental justice fights (e.g. the Core City crusher fightwdet.org or SW Detroit Marathon refinery campaign). They urge city council to deny any expansion requests (as environmental attorney A. Bashi recommendedbridgedetroit.com) and to enforce existing rules. In late 2025 activists plan more protests and to invite Council members to witness the dust first-handbridgedetroit.comclickondetroit.com. A summary: locals demand immediate shutdown or strict oversight of Kronos, citing health data and legal inequitiesmichiganpublic.orgclickondetroit.com.
Action/Date | Participants/Notes |
Apr 2025: City Council hearing | Residents (Buttry, Tomasz) testify on dust/health issuesbridgedetroit.com; Benson listens. |
May 2025: Media campaign | BridgeDetroit and PlanetDetroit publish exposésplanetdetroit.orgbridgedetroit.com. Petition gathers 500+ signatures. |
June 2025: Rally & press conf. | ~50 community members with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Sen. Chang demand actionmichiganpublic.org. News coverage (WDIV, Michigan Public). |
Oct 2025: Rezoning meeting | 30+ residents attend Planning Comm. meeting about Joe Louis Greenway rezoningbridgedetroit.com. Protest announced for Oct 10. |
Ongoing:Petitions/protests | >800 signatures on coalition petitionclickondetroit.com; plans for July 2025 protest; complaint letters to City. |
Policy Context
Detroit Fugitive Dust Ordinance (2024): In May 2024 Detroit enacted a citywide fugitive dust law. It requires any dusty operation to have a written dust-control plan and exposes violators to fines ($500–$2,000 per offense) based on a simple “visual opacity” testplanetdetroit.org. (The ordinance was criticized for lacking mandatory monitors, but it does empower BSEED to fine or shut down facilities that exceed opacity standardsplanetdetroit.org.) Kronos submitted the required plan, and city inspectors confirm it has generally met the 0% off-site emission standard so farclickondetroit.com. However, activists argue the ordinance still relies on slow manual enforcement and should be tightened (e.g. by requiring onsite PM sensors).
Zoning and Land Use: The Detroit Zoning Code classifies Kronos as M4, a “heavy industrial” zone that explicitly allows large-scale manufacturing, storage yards, and concrete plants. Because M4 is a legacy district (dating to mid-20th-century planning), vast swaths of the eastside are heavy-industrial even though residences abut them. City Council can pass rezonings or overlays to protect neighbors. Indeed, Benson’s greenway rezoning plan would downzone many M4 parcels to M2 or commercial (though Kronos’s own site lies just outside the greenway rezoning boundarybridgedetroit.com). In theory the Council could zone the Kronos parcels more restrictively, but must also balance city goals for jobs and industrial tax base.
Enforcement Authorities: BSEED (Buildings, Safety, Engineering, & Environmental) is the lead agency for on-site dust and code violations. It enforces Detroit’s Building Code and new dust rules, issues stop-work orders, and can bring blight or nuisance citations. EGLE (state) enforces Rule 901 (nuisance) and the fugitive dust rules (R 371/372), but tends to reserve enforcement for very egregious cases or complaints. The EPA (federal) enforces the Clean Air Act standards (NAAQS) but typically through state implementation; it also has civil-rights oversight (Title VI) of local decisions. The Detroit Dept. of Appeals & Hearings (DAH) hears zoning and code appeals, but Kronos has not been in that pipeline (the use is by-right in M4).
Precedents: Several relevant cases set context. In Core City (2022), BSEED denied a permit for a concrete crushing facility because it conflicted with the master plan and endangered a nearby low-income housing projectwdet.org. That denial showed the city can block industrial development if it clearly violates land-use policies. In Chicago (2022), a civil-rights complaint (HUD Title VI) forced a recycling plant to relocate from a predominately white to a Black/Latino neighborhood (with HUD finding the City of Chicago failed to consider discrimination)fairhousingnc.org. Advocates here suggest similar federal scrutiny could apply if Detroit’s decisions disproportionately burden its Black communities (though no formal Title VI case exists yet).
Policy/Regulation | Relevance to Kronos |
Detroit Fugitive Dust Ordinance (2024)planetdetroit.org | Requires Kronos to have a dust plan and limits opacity; violations can incur fines. City says Kronos meets standards so farclickondetroit.com. |
Detroit Zoning Code (Ch.61) | M4 zoning permits Kronos’s use; downzoning (via Council/Mayor) could prohibit future expansion. Proposed greenway downzoning is a step in this directionbridgedetroit.com. |
BSEED Enforcement (Code) | BSEED can issue violations/stop-work (did in 2022planetdetroit.org), place tickets, or enter consent agreements. |
EGLE Part 55/R 336 (Air) | State ambient air standards apply to surrounding neighborhoods; EGLE can enforce Rule 901 if dust is “unreasonable” (a high threshold). No action to date. |
Environmental Justice (Title VI/EJ) | Federal guidance urges avoiding disparate impacts; no case yet, but advocates call for HUD/EPA review by analogy (as in Chicago case)fairhousingnc.org. |
Materials & Waste
Raw Materials: Kronos handles cementitious and aggregate materials. Portland cement is mainly calcium silicates; it contains crystalline silica (SiO₂), calcium oxide (CaO) and traces of hexavalent chromium. Fly ash and slag (supplementary cementitious materials) add silica and alumina. Aggregates are largely inert stone and sand (silica). Admixtures (plasticizers, accelerators, air-entraining agents) are organic chemicals used in minute amounts. All these dry materials generate fugitive dust when handled: the worst hazards are respirable silica (causes silicosis/lung cancer) and alkaline cement dust (CaO causes lung/eye irritation)bridgedetroit.com.
Emissions: Major emissions include:
- Particulate dust: from unloading cement and sand, moving trucks, and windblown storage piles. Silica dust is respirable and can penetrate deep into lungs.
- Diesel exhaust: Heavy trucks and generators emit PM₂.₅, NOₓ, VOCs and CO. Diesel PM is a known carcinogen.
- Volatile compounds: Minor – cement does not produce VOCs, but diesel engines do; also paints/coatings on equipment.
- Noise: Diesel engines, mixer motors, and truck traffic generate continuous noise and vibration, disrupting nearby homes.
Waste Streams:
- Concrete washout: High-pH wastewater from rinsing mixers/trucks. According to Univ. of Michigan guidelines, fresh concrete wash water “typically has a high pH and can include other constituents that may be harmful to the environment if not properly managed”ehs.umich.edu. Best practice is containment (washout pits or lined dumpsters) to prevent this alkaline slurry entering storm drains. Improper discharge could violate water quality rules.
- Silt and sediment: Storm runoff from the site may carry fines. If unpaved areas or eroded piles exist, sediment control (silt fences, ponds) is required by NPDES permit.
- Solid waste: Spent bagged cement, residue, construction debris. These must be handled as solid waste (likely non-hazardous). Crown/Hercules claims to follow landfill or recycling protocols, but specifics aren’t public.
Regulatory Standards:
- Silica (OSHA): Worker PEL is 50 µg/m³ (8-hr TWA) for respirable silicaosha.gov; far lower than typical uncontrolled concrete dust.
- Particulates: EPA NAAQS – PM₁₀ (24-hr 150 µg/m³, annual 50 µg/m³); PM₂.₅ (24-hr 35, annual 12)thenewlede.org. Detroit’s ambient levels often exceed these. Detroit Air Rules (Part 55) mirror these standards for State enforcement.
- Diesel exhaust: EPA regulates engines and fuel standards nationally; state/local may ban idling (Detroit has an idling law).
- Stormwater: Industrial sites must follow State NPDES stormwater rules (minimize pH, solids, oil). Exceeding local water-quality criteria (e.g. pH 6–9.5 range, turbidity, heavy metals) could trigger violations.
Monitoring: Detroit’s enforcement relies on visual opacity tests (EPA Method 9/9D)planetdetroit.org and on-site inspectors. Diesel and silica are typically monitored via OSHA/NIOSH sampling protocols (for workers). The JustAir monitors in the neighborhood are privately installed sensors for PM₂.₅ (not regulatory), but they reveal real-time exposure. City-run monitors are sparse; one city sensor miles away does not capture Kronos’s local impact.
Material/Emission | Hazard/Notes | Standards |
Crystalline silica dust (SiO₂) | Causes silicosis, lung cancer; very fine respirable particlesbridgedetroit.com. | OSHA PEL 50 µg/m³ (8h TWA)osha.gov. |
Alkaline cement dust (CaO) | Corrosive/irritant; asthma trigger. | No specific ambient standard; nuisance if > 5% opacity. |
Particulate matter (PM₂.₅, PM₁₀) | Fine dust causes respiratory/cardiac illness. | EPA NAAQS PM₂.₅ (24h 35 µg/m³, annual 12); PM₁₀ (150, 50)thenewlede.org. |
Diesel exhaust (PM, NOₓ, VOCs) | Carcinogenic PM; asthma from NO₂; VOCs ozone precursors. | Regulated via engine/fuel standards; local idling bans may apply. |
Noise/Vibration | Hearing loss, annoyance, stress. | Detroit noise ordinance (City Code); generally must not exceed set dB. |
Concrete washout water | High-pH (~12), cement solids; kills aquatic life. | EGLE prohibits high-pH discharge to storm drains; best practice is containmentehs.umich.edu. |
Stormwater runoff | Sediment, pH, oil (from equipment); water pollution. | NPDES general industrial stormwater permit requirements (pH 6–9.5, low turbidity, etc.). |
Recommendations
Administrative Controls: To protect neighbors, Kronos’s dust plan should be made more stringent. Required measures could include full paving of haul roads, truck wheel-washes at exits, covered material piles, and mandatory wind-speed shutdowns (pause dusty operations when winds exceed ~15–20 mph). Inspectors should enforce a zero off-site dustpolicy: any visible fugitive dust above 5% opacity must trigger an immediate stop-work and cleanup (as envisioned by Detroit’s ordinanceplanetdetroit.org). BSEED could also require Kronos to install on-site particle monitors to continuously log PM levels (the current reliance on cursory visual checks is inadequate). If violations recur, the city should insist on stricter terms (for example, a consent decree or revocable conditional permit) as was done with Greenfield/Dino-Miteplanetdetroit.org.
Legal Enforcement: State EGLE should assess compliance under Rule 901 (Air Nuisance) and Part 55 fugitive dust rules. A nuisance ruling (if dust is deemed to “unreasonably interfere” with life/safety) could allow fines and corrective orders. EGLE could also re-examine whether Kronos truly qualified for its permit exemption (the company’s own capacity claims raise questionsplanetdetroit.org). If not exempt, a formal air permit or consent order might be required. Locally, the Detroit Health Department could be urged to sample ambient air (for silica/PM) around the plant. Meanwhile, residents or council could petition the City’s Law Dept. to attach strict dust-control covenants or “special land use” conditions to Kronos’s approval, giving clear shut-down authority for violations.
Zoning/Policy Measures: The City Council should finalize down-zoning in this area. Benson’s Joe Louis Greenway rezoning (moving properties to M2/B4/SD2bridgedetroit.com) should be extended to include the Kronos parcels if possible. A permanent M4 moratorium on new permits or expansions in Cadillac Heights could also be considered. Overlay or buffer zones could require a greenbelt beyond existing berms, and disallow truck idling on local streets. Signage and designated truck routes (keeping heavy vehicles off Conant and residential roads) should be mandated. These zoning reforms would mirror actions in Core City (denying an ill-sited crusherwdet.org).
Public Health Actions: Increase air-quality monitoring around the plant. Install a state-run or county-run PM monitor in the neighborhood, and share data publicly. Partner with schools (Frontier Academy, Al-Ikhlas Academy, etc.) to set up low-cost sensors and issue “go inside” alerts on high-pollution days. The Detroit Health Dept. and Michigan health agencies should offer free respiratory screenings (asthma/lung function) for residents near Kronos. Educational outreach on dust exposure (masks, indoor air purifiers) should be provided.
Federal Oversight: Given the disparity in industrial burdens, local officials should consider civil-rights avenues. A Title VI complaint could be filed with HUD/EPA if Kronos’s siting disproportionately impacts a majority-Black neighborhood, following precedents like the Chicago Southside casefairhousingnc.org. EPA Region 5 (Chicago) could also do an environmental justice evaluation under its plan or community-driven program. Any federal infrastructure funds (e.g. for monitoring) should be explored.
Area | Recommended Actions |
Dust Control | Enforce paved haul routes, wheel washes, covered storage; shut down operations above ~15 mph winds; require EPA Method 9 opacity tests on-site. |
Legal Enforcement | EGLE Rule 901/371/372 review; impose fines for dust nuisance; consider revocation or conditional permitting for noncompliance. |
Zoning/Planning | Downzone Kronos parcels (to M2/B4 or overlay); deny any street vacations; create buffer/open-space requirements; enforce designated truck routes. |
Health Monitoring | Deploy more air sensors (PM₂.₅ and silica) around Kronos and schools; issue public health advisories on high-dust days; asthma screening clinics. |
Policy Advocacy | Use Detroit’s dust ordinance enforcement and sanctions; lobby State legislators for stronger fugitive dust laws; engage EPA/EJSCREEN for cumulative impacts. |
Each recommendation is supported by expert and community input (e.g. Andrew Bashi’s call to deny expansionbridgedetroit.com, and Council actions on rezoningbridgedetroit.combridgedetroit.com). Together, these measures aim to prevent health harm and ensure Kronos operates without imposing unacceptable pollution on the adjacent neighborhood.
Sources: Official reports, local journalism, and regulatory guidance as cited above. Each statement is drawn from Detroit-area news outlets and agency documents (e.g. BridgeDetroitbridgedetroit.combridgedetroit.com, PlanetDetroitplanetdetroit.orgbridgedetroit.com, Michigan Publicmichiganpublic.orgmichiganpublic.org) or authoritative industry/hazard referencesherculesconcrete.comehs.umich.edu. (Images: Detroit Planning Commission mapbridgedetroit.com)