State regulators sent a violation notice this week to the company managing construction of a new Meijer store in Acme Township near Traverse City. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says silt runoff from the 160-acre site is spilling into a nearby creek and Grand Traverse Bay.
Brian Jankowski runs the Water Resource Division in the DEQ’s Cadillac office. He says there are no plans at this time to seek a fine against the company.
“The focus at this point is to get the site under control," said Jankowski. "I don’t want to muck things up with fines and penalties at this point but they are on notice that we reserve the right to do that.”
Jankowski says developers are cooperating with the agency and have hired an outside consultant to help stop the flow of silt into nearby wetlands.
UPDATE: IPR's Linda Stephan goes deeper into this story with reporter Aaron Selbig.