FLAT ROCK, Mich. (WWJ) -- Most Flat Rock residents who were still evacuated from their homes following a gas leak at the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant last month have been given the “all-clear” and have been told they are allowed to return home.
Michigan and Wayne County health officials say the gas release into the sewer main is no longer a risk to the indoor air of Flat Rock homes and businesses in what had been called “Zone 1,” with the exception of about 15 homes that had previously tested with concerning levels of benzene or had reportable odors.
The clearance follows testing and analysis of the air quality in the city’s sewers by state and county health officials.
“Zone 1” is an area of Flat Rock, roughly bounded by I-75 to the east, Cahill Road to the west, Gibraltar Road to the north and Woodruff Road to the south. About 600 homes in “Zone 2” were given the OK to return home earlier this week.
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The 15 homes that have not been cleared yet initially had elevated levels of benzene or had their homes tested by the EPA because of odor complaints. Those homes will require further analysis before receiving clearance, which officials said could still happen as early as Thursday.
Residents in Flat Rock first began smelling a strange odor of gas on Aug. 31, and by Sept. 4, officials recommended that some residents evacuate as a precaution until further notice. Officials were concerned over levels of benzene -- a gas vapor that can be harmful to people -- detected in the sewers, which were repeatedly flushed in a process to clear the community of any possible dangers.
Ford Motor Co. claimed responsibility for the leak, which had prompted Wayne County and State of Michigan officials to declare a state of emergency in the Downriver community in the days prior.
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Ford pledged $1 million to help relocation efforts for the families that had to relocate in the wake of the leak. The cause of the leak is still not entirely clear. The company continues to provide families in the affected areas with hotel accommodations.
Flat Rock Mayor Mark Hammond spoke live on WWJ Thursday afternoon, saying it was a relief to have most residents returning to their homes, made possible by a collaborative effort.
“Many federal and state assets were brought in to clear the homes from the gasoline vapors. Federal assets from the National Guard, state assets from the department of environment -- it’s just been an all-out effort to clear these homes in Flat Rock and make them safe again,” Hammond said.
Wayne County Chief Operating Officer Genelle Allen thanked Flat Rock residents “for their resilience throughout this difficult time.”
“Our goal throughout this process is to protect residents’ health and safety. I’m pleased that testing and analysis results allows us to recommend most Flat Rock residents can return home. Wayne County and MDHHS are working diligently to clear the remaining homes as soon as possible,” Allen said.
Not all homes require indoor air testing because MDHHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paired data from sewer testing with some houses across Flat Rock that initially had elevated benzene levels or gasoline odors inside their homes to validate that air levels in homes are below health levels, city officials said.
MDHHS compared the indoor air quality data in those homes with test results for sewer lines and confirmed that gasoline-related sewer vapors were substantially prevented from entering the indoor air of those homes. This health-protective approach has been successfully used under similar conditions during previous incidents. Based on extensive sewer gas testing throughout Zone 1 and the paired-home confirmatory data, MDHHS concluded that the indoor air of other homes in Zone 1 will not be at risk of being impacted from benzene or other gasoline-related chemicals now that the gasoline release has been stopped.
“I’m pleased that Zone 1 residents now have assurance that the gas leak is not impacting the air quality in their homes,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan chief medical executive and MDHHS chief deputy director for health. “MDHHS has been and remains committed to protecting the health of Flat Rock residents.”