By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer

The Washtenaw County Road Commission unearthed benzene – a chemical component of fuel and a serious pollutant – on their property on the corner of Wilkinson and Middle Street on June 10.

The road commission was beginning construction of a salt storage building at the Chelsea Maintenance Yard at 630 W. Middle Street when they made the find. County workers were digging out a two bank retention pond to deal with storm water on the site when they hit the top of a four-foot tall derelict fuel tank two feet below the surface.

Road Commission Civil Engineer and lead on the project, Mike Bernbeck made himself available to concerned residents Friday.

One of the many topics discussed beneath Chelsea State Bank in a Chelsea city office conference room packed with neighbors and local officials including County Commissioner Mark Ouimet and Chelsea City Manager John Hanifan was whether or not the dig and subsequent hauling of the contaminated soil led to neighbors’ exposure.

According to the Center for Disease Control benzene causes cells in the human body to malfunction in various ways, such as stunted red blood cell production in bone marrow leading to anemia or damage to the immune system affecting blood levels of antibodies which causes a loss of white blood cells.

The neighbors became aware of what was going on when they noticed numerous trucks hauling dirt away from the site and investigated the matter. They charged the road commission with failure to properly notify them and act as “a good neighbor,” considering the yard is located in the midst of a residential neighborhood and right down the road from Chelsea Retirement Community.

Notice of exposure is a critical issue. The CDC says those exposed to benzene should immediately remove their clothing, wash their bodies and dispose of said clothing in sealed plastic bags in case clothing fibers have caught airborne benzene particles. Benzene is a known carcinogen.

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