DTE Responds to Dingell Questions on Trenton Channel Power Plant Demolition

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today shared the response from DTE Electric to her August 21 letter requesting an update on the status of the ongoing demolition of the Trenton Channel Power Plant.

"As you know, DTE has been an active community partner in Trenton for over 100 years. With the retirement of our Trenton Channel coal plant in 2022, we've engaged local officials and community leaders to identify an appropriate path for reusing this site that benefits our customers and the Downriver community in alignment with our mission to provide affordable and reliable energy - all while achieving our net zero carbon goals," wrote Matt Paul, President and COO of DTE. "Our announcement this past June of a 220-megawatt battery energy storage center is the first step in our transformation of the site and reinforces our commitment to the Trenton community. I understand that your constituents raised several questions about the future of the Trenton site during your recent town hall, and we appreciate your willingness to assist our efforts to keep local residents informed about the next steps in our journey to redevelop the remaining portions of the property."

View the full responses to the questions below and here.

There is concern that this demolition could remain incomplete and left as an abandoned structure as other significant properties nearby had been for decades. Can DTE outline its plans to complete the remaining demolition work? What steps are being taken to ensure the demolition is thorough and timely?

Our plan is to remove all structures by the spring of 2025. The candy cane stacks and boiler house were removed in March and June, respectively. The turbine house building was intentionally left standing during those events and is in the process of being dismantled now. This work will be completed later this fall.

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As structures are removed, foundations will continue to be removed down to 10 ft. in accordance with the City of Trenton demolition permit. The project will be completed by early summer 2025, resulting in the land being returned to a brownfield site for redevelopment.

The community is worried about potential pollutants, including coal ash and PFAS, escaping from the site. Could DTE clarify what measures are in place to prevent contamination and address concerns about these substances? What are the plans for capping coal ash, and will the quarry be retained?

Based on our historical operation as a coal fired power plant, we have no reason to believe that there are PFAS-related concerns at the property.

With respect to coal ash, we are currently implementing a plan to fully investigate and identify its presence at the site and assess any potential impacts requiring remediation. Following this assessment, we will proceed with either removing the coal ash or capping it in place in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency's federal Coal Combustion Residual rules and all applicable State requirements.

We plan to continue utilizing the Sibley Quarry Landfill for receiving coal ash. At the end of life of the Sibley Quarry Landfill, we will close the landfill following the federal Coal Combustion Residual rules and all applicable State requirements.

Each time a structure is taken down, the community raises concerns about asbestos and other debris emanating from the site. Can DTE provide details on how asbestos is being handled during demolition? What other steps are being taken to ensure overall air quality?

Starting with the decommissioning process, DTE set up four perimeter air monitors that would continuously test for lead and asbestos. During the demolition events, we added a fifth air monitor on Grosse Isle. No air monitors identified any releases during the demolition event. Additionally, the four perimeter monitors are continuing to monitor and have consistently demonstrated compliance with EGLE and National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

DTE is complying with all applicable EGLE, EPA, and MIOSHA regulations associated with hazardous material on the site. This includes asbestos containing materials. All materials suspected of containing asbestos are sampled by a State of Michigan licensed inspector to ensure proper handling and disposal before any work commences. Asbestos has been, and will continue to be, disposed of in a regulated landfill after abatement. Removal of all asbestos is verified by a State of Michigan licensed asbestos contractor supervisor. EGLE has completed multiple inspections of the sitework without any concerns identified.

DTE has plans for a large-scale battery storage facility. Could DTE elaborate on this plan for the long-term development of this site? Can DTE also provide a timeline for this project, and how it fits into the overall site plan?

DTE broke ground on the Trenton Channel Energy Center, a 220MW battery energy storage system, in June of this year. We are currently working to complete engineering of the project, and it is scheduled to be online in 2026. The battery project will utilize approximately 20-acres of land on the former Trenton Channel Power Plant site. DTE continues to actively evaluate options for the remaining 200 acres.

Is there a way that DTE might consider regular updates to the community? What would be the most appropriate forum for sharing these updates? If challenges or issues arise, how might the community be informed?

We provide regular updates on our community projects via our Empowering Michigan blog, which can be found at https://empoweringmichigan.com. Additionally, community members may submit any specific comments or concerns to [email protected], our dedicated email inbox for this project. In the meantime, we will continue our regular engagement with local elected officials to provide updates and surface any potential challenges or issues should they arise.

How will DTE work with local and county governments once the cleanup is completed?

We share the Downriver community's desire to repurpose the Trenton site in a manner which is safe and timely, results in the generation of new local tax revenue and jobs, and continues to deliver benefits for our customers. As we did through the development of the battery energy storage system, we will continue our regular discussions with local and county government officials as we evaluate options for redeveloping the remaining portions of the site.

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