Community meetings planned to answer questions on Buick City contamination

RACER Trust will host two community meetings to provide information on environmental cleanup efforts and results of ongoing PFAS contamination testing at the former Buick City industrial complex. 

The public is invited to attend the meetings 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the University of Michigan-Flint’s University Center Kiva and 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle, 930 E. Myrtle Ave. Officials from RACER Trust will provide information and answer questions at both events.

The RACER Trust has continued to monitor discharges to the Flint River since it discovered PFAS contamination in April 2018 when it first conducted sampling under a site work plan approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

PFAS are Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, chemicals often found in water-repellents and waterproofing that are used in the automotive industries to reduce friction, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Elevated levels of PFAS are linked to cancer, liver damage, birth defects, and autoimmune diseases.

The RACER Trust is one of the largest holders of industrial property in the United States and is the largest environmental response and remediation trust in U.S. history. RACER (Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response) Trust was created in March 2011 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to clean up and position for redevelopment properties and other facilities owned by the General Motors before its 2009 bankruptcy.