Jim Lynch reports in the Detroit News that state officials have denied a permit to store an oil refinery byproduct known as petroleum coke at a River Rouge site.
The denial marks a second major setback in one year for the company looking to stockpile it.
Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality has rejected an application from Detroit Bulk Storage to store pet coke at its facility on West Great Lakes Street in River Rouge. In 2013, the company faced opposition from residents and elected officials when massive piles of the coal-like material appeared just off Jefferson Avenue west of downtown Detroit.
Detroit Bulk Storage eventually removed the material — much to the delight of opponents on both sides of the Detroit River who feared potential health problems from dust blowing off the site. The worries were stoked in part by video footage on YouTube in July showing large clouds of pet coke blowing off the riverside site.
