Environmental Commission gets reports on dam, microplastics, lily pads

At its regular meeting on Nov. 16, the Van Buren Township Environmental Commission discussed reports on microplastics, PFAS, lily pads, French Landing Dam, and other subjects members have asked about.
Ron Akers, Van Buren Township’s municipal services director, gave reports on seven topics and then presented the proposed meeting dates for 2023, which is slated to be approved at the Dec. 21 meeting. The commission will consider a change in meeting time, as well.
Huron River Watershed Council
Director Akers gave a report on the last HRWC meeting and said they discussed phosphorus and bugs. He said the late Dr. Dave Wilson was the township’s last official representative to the HRWC and the township is looking for a new representative.
The commission discussed the erosion around the lake, especially at Quirk Road, Mission Pointe and Van Buren Park beach.
Wayne County Drain Commission
Akers said residents in the Van Born/Belleville Road area, behind Greenbriar Subdivision, have petitioned the Wayne County Drain Commission to clean out the drain in that area. The residents will pay.
It was noted that commission chairman Norm DeBuck had said at a previous meeting that he didn’t remember the last time they cleaned the drain on his property.
Quirk at Belleville Road
Akers said once he gathers more information, on the erosion along Quirk Road, he will report. Commissioners are concerned that a portion of Quirk Road will fall into Belleville Lake since the erosion there is so close to the roadway. That had been one of Dr. Wilson’s concerns.
Ann Arbor NPDES Permit
Akers said the settlement agreement with the state over the law suit on the Ann Arbor wastewater treatment plant’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was dated June 21, 2021 and it specifies phosphorus limits for its daily load.
There is a 25-year agreement on how they can discharge phosphorus. Akers said he sent a summary to the commissioners and then he re-sent them the legal settlement.
He said the Ann Arbor city board action was detailed. The phosphorous concentration can be .8 from 2021-23 and must be .2 concentration by the end of 25 years. The treatment plant empties into the Huron River which flows through Belleville Lake.
Microplastics, PFAS, Foam
The recent microplastics speaker at the Belleville Area District Library was not taped, but the library gave Akers information on his talk and how to contact the speaker. Commission members suggested inviting the speaker to give a presentation before them. Akers said if that wasn’t possible, maybe he has a recorded presentation to share.
Akers said he was told that the highest levels of microplastics in the state are in the Huron River and most come from the fibers in clothes. People are urged to get a filter for their washing machines, use a ball in the washer that attracts fibers, and use side-loading washers instead of top-loading washers.
The HRWC explains that microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic (less than 5 millimeters/0.2 inches) and are mostly invisible to the naked eye. They slough off of articles of clothing when they are being washed and fall off of decomposing plastic bottles, bags, and other debris.
Scientists have found microplastics nearly everywhere, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and aquatic animals. Fibers, which contribute the most to the local microplastics pollution, are washed into our streams and rivers after synthetic clothes and textiles, such as fleece and athletic gear, are laundered. These fibers are so tiny, they are not filtered out during the water treatment process.
Akers reported there are PFAS in the Huron River and it is concentrated in foam, which tends to form near dams, according to HRWC. People are warned not to touch the foam and rinse it off if touched. When suspicious foam builds up, people are urged to take a picture and alert an emergency hotline (1-800-292-4706). It is bright white and folds up on itself like shaving cream.
Commissioner Peter Creal suggested getting the HRWC to give the township information to post at launch sites.
“I’ll reach out to them,” Akers said, adding, he thought there were signs by the docks and he would check.
Lily Pads on Belleville Lake
Akers said he is reaching out to Michigan State University and Washtenaw County to see if the township can get solutions to the lily pads that are clogging up the west side of Belleville Lake.
Akers said Washtenaw County hires lake scientists to come up with plans and inspect yearly. This is paid for by lakefront property owners in other communities. He said he would see how much it would cost.
Commissioner Benjamin Ross, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of chairman DeBuck, said the lily pads are upstream at the far end of the lake and if the lily pads were broken up into pieces that could flow downstream and re-root, and, “We’re not kicking it down to Flat Rock.”
French Landing Dam Permit
Eagle Creek, which is running French Landing Dam, has started its permit renewal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and hopes to get renewal for another 40 years to continue making hydropower. The lease expires in 2027 and it takes five years to reapply.
Akers said he and Director of Public Services Larry Luckett went to the preliminary study meeting on the application. He said Van Buren Township is a co-licensee, but Eagle Creek is fully funding the application.
FERC requires many different kinds of studies, including recreation on the lake and how the fish get up the river at the dam site. Other agencies are asking for other studies, but the decommissioning study was not approved since nobody believes the dam won’t be reapproved.
December meeting
The commission’s December meeting has traditionally included a holiday meal, with the board liaison buying pizza and others bringing a dish to pass. The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21, before its regular 7 p.m. meeting.