DETROIT, Mich. — Detroit residents are likely to end up paying to dig out contaminated fill dirt from hundreds of old demolition sites, the city’s top lawyer told City Council on Friday.
Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said the now-closed contractor the city blames for the bad backfill probably lacks the money to repay Detroit, and the city’s environmental insurer is pushing back on covering the program.
Tim Palazzolo, who leads the Construction and Demolition Department, said 195 publicly owned parcels carry elevated risk. At those lots, contamination could turn to vapor, move up through the ground and seep into nearby buildings over time. Fixing those parcels first should cost about $6.7 million, or roughly $34,554 per property.
In all, 655 sites were flagged for possibly tainted soil, and 380 publicly owned lots have fill that exceeds state standards. Total costs are nearing $20 million, and the first two of three cleanup tiers are planned for completion by 2029. About $8.4 million remains from $15 million the city set aside in late 2025.
Council member Angela Whitfield-Calloway pressed for warning signs at fenced lots. City demolition staff and the Detroit Health Department are sending notices to people living nearby, and the city has put up a website that posts cleanup updates.
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