Downriver residents say they have hit their breaking point. A fresh batch of letters circulating this week urges Wayne County and Wyandotte leaders to push BASF to stop polluted groundwater from reaching the Detroit River just upstream of the city’s drinking water intake. Neighbors argue that groundwater plumes from the company’s North Works plant, which contain volatile organic compounds, PFAS and elevated mercury, have been leaving the site for years while long-term technical fixes lag. They worry that continued discharges could threaten fishing, shoreline recreation and the river’s overall health over time.
On June 1, 2026, a group of residents formally appealed to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy and Wyandotte officials, asking for a legal review and tougher enforcement, according to the Detroit Free Press. The letters ask Worthy and Wyandotte’s city attorney, Tom Kuzmiak, to evaluate whether state or federal enforcement or other legal claims are warranted and to press for quicker containment of the pollution. Kuzmiak, who was appointed city attorney in March 2026, is listed in official minutes maintained by the City of Wyandotte.
The facility at the center of the dispute is BASF’s North Works plant at 1609 Biddle Avenue. State PFAS response materials describe the site as sitting along the Upper Trenton Channel immediately upstream of Wyandotte’s municipal intake, with documented PFAS, volatile organic compounds and other contaminants in on-site groundwater and nearby sediments. Those state materials say extraction wells and sampling campaigns have been used to track the plumes, while treated groundwater is discharged to the public sewer system. Officials report that routine testing of Wyandotte’s finished drinking water has not repeatedly shown regulated contaminants at levels that trigger public health action, although regulators also acknowledge uncertainty about the long-term impacts on the river ecosystem, according to the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team.
Regulators Push For A Long-Term Fix
Federal and state regulators have been pressing BASF to move beyond temporary patches and adopt a comprehensive cleanup plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewed a 95 percent Basis of Design for a perimeter barrier and interim groundwater measures and instructed BASF to address agency comments before finalizing the design. The plan under discussion includes perimeter walls, expanded extraction wells and an on-site treatment system, according to the U.S. EPA and BASF.
Residents Ask Prosecutor To Step In
The June 1 letters ask Worthy to consider potential prosecutorial or civil actions and to make sure Wyandotte’s interests are protected in any PFAS-related settlements or claims. Residents point to looming deadlines in broader PFAS litigation and say they want local representation and enforcement, not years of incremental engineering tweaks, as described by the Detroit Free Press.
Legal Context
BASF operates under a state consent decree dating to the mid-1980s and a 1994 EPA administrative order that requires the company to maintain an inward hydraulic gradient and prevent contaminated groundwater from discharging into the Detroit River. After monitoring data suggested the existing pumping system might not fully stop seepage, regulators issued letters directing BASF to explain how it would modify and optimize its remedial system. That sequence of consent-decree obligations, regulator directives and ongoing monitoring has been outlined by Planet Detroit.
What To Watch Next
Residents say they plan to keep pushing for immediate interim measures while regulators hammer out the final designs and maintain public oversight. The EPA has held public briefings and says it will continue reviewing design documents and requiring revisions. BASF, for its part, says it is carrying out projects under agency oversight and notes that the city’s finished tap water has not shown contaminant levels that trigger public health actions. The next several weeks could reveal whether regulators insist on faster pump-and-treat steps or escalate to tougher enforcement, with more public meetings expected, according to the U.S. EPA and BASF.
