A Livingston County lawmaker took part in a committee hearing related to hazardous waste found on a metro-Detroit freeway that’s being referred to as “toxic green ooze”.

A neon green slime was discovered oozing onto the shoulder of I-696 near Madison Heights in December and was later determined to be coming from the closed business Electro-Plating Services. Media outlets across the country published the photos. Republican State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton Township is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which listened to testimony about the “green ooze” environmental situation on Wednesday. A press release says the state must continue to be transparent about the contamination threat. Bollin participated in the hearing to review how the state responded and communicated with local governments and legislators related to Electro-Plating Services and ownership-related properties in Sanilac County and Detroit.

The release noted the former Electro-Plating Services site has a long history of compliance violations and the source of the contaminant included hexavalent chromium, PFAS and other toxins. Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Liesl Clark was one of many officials who testified during the hearing. Bollin said it was vital to hear public testimony on the background of the issue, how it’s being dealt with and most importantly, the solutions for preventing future problems. She said they must continue to find ways to make government more accountable and transparent and the hearing was a positive step in the right direction. Bollin said the photos of the toxic green liquid flowing onto the freeway were shocking to everyone and although they learned a great deal about the issue, the hearing should only be the first step in an ongoing process to learn more about the situation and ultimately find ways to ensure people’s safety. MDOT photo.(JM)