Residents in Dearborn’s South End and neighboring communities, including southwest Detroit, will suffer the consequences of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Air Quality Division (AQD) Chief Vinson Hellwig’s recent reckless decision to approve a revised emissions permit that allows one of the state’s largest polluters to release higher levels of toxins into the air. 

For decades, families in the area have lived amid a dangerous level of pollution. State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents residents in southwest Detroit, says one out of four children in the area has asthma. It is one of Michigan’s most polluted zip codes.  

The revised emissions permit approved by Hellwig allows Severstal to release toxic pollutants such as lead, carbon monoxide and PM10 (fine dust) to be two, three, or four times previous amounts, or an increase of more than 7,200 percent. 

The most disappointing part of Hellwig’s decision is that he made it nearly two months after he personally witnessed emotional testimonies from residents begging not to have the permit approved, because the pollution was already too unbearable.  

He should have known better. He was educated about the respiratory problems and other health conditions caused by the pollution that some residents say have become fatal in many cases.  

He also approved the permit, despite knowing about Severstal’s long history of failing to comply with polices established to regulate pollution. 

Since 2008, the AQD has issued 37 violation notices to Severstal as a result of citizen complaint investigations, inspections, visible emissions monitoring and stack testing. The AQD Detroit District Office referred the company for escalated enforcement action in July 2010. 

We expected the MDEQ to advocate on behalf of residents, not against their best interests. The MDEQ inarguably failed in its mission to protect people from environmental hazards, and at the same time lost the community’s trust. 

Reports have surfaced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Gov. Rick Snyder’s business promoting agency, worked for months with Severstal, as the company lobbied the MDEQ for permission to release even higher levels of pollutants and avoid current air quality regulations. 

As we have reported before, there are several other polluters in and around southwest Detroit; and Severstal is not solely responsible. 

There are families living in the South End of Dearborn and Southwest Detroit who are underserved. Breathing clean air should be a right, not a privilege. 

We understand jobs may have been at risk if the permit wasn’t passed, but that is not more important than human lives.  

When families in the area head to the polls to vote in the gubernatorial election this November, they will remember where Gov. Snyder’s administration stood on this issue. 

Many families in the South End are Arab Americans. How can Gov. Snyder expect to earn the vote of our community when he did not stand on the side of sick Arab children impacted by the pollution? 

For years, residents have united together to fight the pollution. Now, after the passing of the permit, the fight is stronger than ever. 

Many have filed lawsuits against Severstal in the wake of the controversy, and sources tell The Arab American News a suit could also be filed against the MDEQ soon. 

Too many parents have been hurt watching their children develop chronic diseases because of the pollution. It is something they had no control over, but the MDEQ did have control over allowing the pollution to increase. 

To Vinson Hellwig and others in support of the permit’s passing, we ask, what if these were your children?