Windsor to oppose American petroleum company's petcoke storage application

The city of Windsor will be sending a letter outlining its opposition to a recent application stateside that would see petcoke stored near the Detroit riverfront without a roof enclosure.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation has filed a variance application with the city of Detroit to allow it to continue to store petcoke in nine-metre high enclosures, but without a roof.

The application is necessary thanks to an ordinance that was passed in 2017 after residents complained they were finding black soot in their homes and coating their cars. At the same time, large piles of the petroleum byproduct were being stored right along the riverfront by the Detroit Bulk Storage Inc.

Marathon claims adding roofs would cost tens of millions of dollars.

In a letter to the Detroit Free Press, company officials indicate they will be keeping the pet coke moist with a sprinkler system, will regularly sweep on-site roads, require transport trucks be covered and conduct pet coke transfers and truck loading in enclosed areas with emissions controls.

City of Windsor administration will be sending a message of support to Detroit opposing the variance application.

“I’m not sure where the City of Detroit is, but that’s why it’s important they understand their border partners are absolutely in concert in saying this is the wrong move,”  ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante said after Monday’s council meeting. “Part of this is communicating with our provincial and federal counterparts.”

“Because of our geographic location it’s important those parties are involved as well,” Costante said.

Ward 7 Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk remembers the uproar in 2013 and doesn’t want to see a repeat performance.

"We want to make sure that the petcoke, if it is to be stored, is going to be stored under a roof, securely,” the councillor noted, indicating he wants assurances “that there will be no question whether any winds will be carrying those materials over to our side."

The public has until March 18 to submit comments regarding the application to Detroit’s Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department.