Shelby Township Settles Pollution Lawsuit with Ford

Shelby Township officials shared some good news this week concerning its lawsuit against Ford Motor Company over pollution discovered at the site of the former Visteon plant near 23 Mile Road and Mound Road.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Board of Trustees unanimously accepted a recommendation from attorney Rob Huth to settle with Ford, ending a 15-month fight in the courts with the plant's former owners.

Township officials said Ford agreed to clean up pollution at the 208-acre site, monitor the area for future problems during development and pay the township to offset costs of the litigation.

"It sounds like Ford Motor Company will be on the hook, basically forever, with this property," Supervisor Rick Stathakis said.

Huth replied, "As long as there's an issue, Ford Motor Company's on the hook."

Ford's plan to clean up the site, which township officials said they believe impacts residents and baseball diamonds in the area, must be approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality through a process could take several months.

"This is not everything we asked for, but I'm satisfied," Huth said. "I believe that this is the best deal for the township to protect residents."

Another company, Indiana Metals, purchased the site in 2011 and was in the process of demolishing buildings when the pollution was discovered. Another suit against Indiana Metals remains in the courts.