14 AmeriTi Manufacturing Back | Next 02 Aevitas Specialty Services
14 AmeriTi Manufacturing Back | Next 02 Aevitas Specialty Services
At a Glance
Facility Name: Clean Earth of Detroit (formerly Nortru / Petro-Chem Processing Group)
Address: 13103 Conner Street, Detroit MI 48215
Current Operator / Owner: Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc. (division of Harsco Environmental)
Facility Type: Hazardous-waste treatment and oil-recycling plant
EPA ID: MID000775894
Primary Oversight: Michigan EGLE (Materials Management & Air Quality Divisions), U.S. EPA Region 5, City of Detroit BSEED
Coverage Period: 2019 – present
Verified Sources: EGLE MiEnviro Facility Page | EPA ECHO Facility Report | Detroit Violations Records (2019–2024) | BridgeDetroit Coverage (2023) | Planet Detroit Analysis (2024)
Facility Overview
Clean Earth operates a long-standing waste-oil and solvent-recycling plant on Detroit’s east side, originally built and run by Petro-Chem Processing Group in the 1970s, later renamed Nortru, and acquired by Clean Earth Environmental Services in 2019. The facility occupies roughly 10 acres along Conner Street near Gunston, surrounded by heavy-industrial parcels and limited residential pockets.
The site receives used oils, oily water, sludges, and solvent-bearing wastes from manufacturing and automotive sources. Operations include waste-oil separation, chemical treatment, fuel blending, and water discharge through an on-site pretreatment system regulated by EGLE. Most activities occur in enclosed process areas, though truck unloading, tank storage, and waste transfer create intermittent emissions of odor and vapor typical for this industry.
Emissions Profile
According to EGLE MiEnviro and EPA ECHO, the site’s permitted activities produce emissions consistent with oil-recycling and solvent-handling operations:
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): from tank vents, fuel blending, and truck loading.
- Sulfur compounds and odorous gases: released when processing waste fuels and hydrocarbons.
- Particulate Matter (PM): from vehicle traffic and open waste transfer points.
- Combustion pollutants (CO, NOₓ): from diesel engines and on-site equipment.
These emission types are regulated under Michigan’s Permit-to-Install and Rule 901(b) requirements, which prohibit visible emissions or odors that interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property. Listed pollutants represent the regulated categories under state oversight and do not imply exposure or health impact.
Compliance & Enforcement History (2019 – Present)
Records from EGLE and EPA ECHO show routine oversight and periodic enforcement since Clean Earth’s acquisition of the site. Inspections in 2020 and 2021 documented odor and storage deficiencies under Rule 901(b) and EGLE’s hazardous-waste license conditions. Violation Notices were issued for improper containment and off-site odor, prompting corrective actions such as covered storage and enhanced tank monitoring.
City records show citations in 2021 and 2023 for odor and spill management violations under Detroit Code § 22-2-83. EGLE inspection summaries from 2022 note progress on containment repairs and a formal odor-control plan. By 2024, the facility was listed as “active – in compliance with minor issues resolved through correspondence.”
No major state or federal consent orders were issued during this period. EPA ECHO data confirm the site maintains an active RCRA license and air permit with continuing quarterly reporting to EGLE.
Community Impact
The Conner Street corridor is a long-established industrial zone that borders residential areas and arterial roads like Jefferson Avenue. Residents in adjacent blocks have filed occasional odor and truck-traffic complaints, particularly before 2022, when EGLE required upgraded odor-control equipment and operational adjustments. Complaint records have since declined in frequency but are still periodically logged through EGLE’s Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS).
Status & Sources
Status (October 2025): Clean Earth remains an active, licensed hazardous-waste treatment facility under state and federal oversight. The company continues quarterly reporting through EGLE’s MiEnviro system and has no unresolved violation notices as of October 2025.
Public Verification Links:
City of Detroit – Environmental Code § 22-2-83
EGLE – MiEnviro Facility Records
EPA ECHO – Clean Earth Detroit Facility Report
BridgeDetroit – Environmental Oversight Reporting (2023)
Planet Detroit – Industrial Corridor Analysis (2024)
14 AmeriTi Manufacturing Back | Next 02 Aevitas Specialty Services