Detroit's Demolition Record Raises Concerns Over Environmental Cleanup.
Since taking office in 2014, Mayor Mike Duggan has overseen a major effort to clear Detroit of abandoned homes. The city claims to have demolished around 27,000 houses and sold another 19,000 that were vacant, thanks to a voter-approved bond program worth $250 million. However, the process is now facing scrutiny due to concerns over contaminated soil used at some demolition sites.
At its peak, Detroit had an estimated 47,000 abandoned homes under the control of the city-owned Land Bank Authority. As of this month, that number has dwindled to just 942. While some homes are expected to be sold in 2026 for renovation and others will be demolished within six months, many questions remain unanswered about the environmental impact of the demolition process.
According to a report released by Duggan ahead of the closeout of Proposal N, soil contaminated with pollutants was used at dozens of residential demolition sites. Detroit's Office of Inspector General has found that one contractor, Gayanga Co. LLC, may have used unapproved backfill sources and another company, Iron Horse of Michigan Inc., supplied soil to 424 sites where elevated contaminant levels were detected.
The city claims it is working with environmental consulting firm Mannik & Smith Group to test every site suspected of contaminated soil removal and has set aside $15 million in closeout funds for remediation. Mayor Duggan has vowed to pursue reimbursement from responsible contractors, ensuring that the cleanup will not affect the city's finances.
While the progress made by Detroit's demolition efforts is undeniable, concerns over environmental safety cannot be ignored. The investigation into Iron Horse's operations is ongoing, with police also investigating whether contractors deliberately used unapproved soil sources and potentially committed fraud.
Since taking office in 2014, Mayor Mike Duggan has overseen a major effort to clear Detroit of abandoned homes. The city claims to have demolished around 27,000 houses and sold another 19,000 that were vacant, thanks to a voter-approved bond program worth $250 million. However, the process is now facing scrutiny due to concerns over contaminated soil used at some demolition sites.
At its peak, Detroit had an estimated 47,000 abandoned homes under the control of the city-owned Land Bank Authority. As of this month, that number has dwindled to just 942. While some homes are expected to be sold in 2026 for renovation and others will be demolished within six months, many questions remain unanswered about the environmental impact of the demolition process.
According to a report released by Duggan ahead of the closeout of Proposal N, soil contaminated with pollutants was used at dozens of residential demolition sites. Detroit's Office of Inspector General has found that one contractor, Gayanga Co. LLC, may have used unapproved backfill sources and another company, Iron Horse of Michigan Inc., supplied soil to 424 sites where elevated contaminant levels were detected.
The city claims it is working with environmental consulting firm Mannik & Smith Group to test every site suspected of contaminated soil removal and has set aside $15 million in closeout funds for remediation. Mayor Duggan has vowed to pursue reimbursement from responsible contractors, ensuring that the cleanup will not affect the city's finances.
While the progress made by Detroit's demolition efforts is undeniable, concerns over environmental safety cannot be ignored. The investigation into Iron Horse's operations is ongoing, with police also investigating whether contractors deliberately used unapproved soil sources and potentially committed fraud.
they just started tearing down homes in detroit and now its raising red flags about contaminated soil 
what if all these old homes were toxic or something? and what about the companies involved? Gayanga Co. LLC and Iron Horse of Michigan Inc.? didnt do their research 
. All that dirt being dug up and brought to the demolition sites makes me think we're playing with fire 
. I mean, if all those homes were abandoned for years, it's crazy to think that some contractors might have used soil from who-knows-where without checking first.
. I wish they'd be more transparent about what's happening at each site so people know we're doing everything right. We need to make sure this cleanup doesn't end up costing us all in the long run 
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. 27k homes demolished in 10 years? That's crazy talk! And now they're saying some of that soil is contaminated with pollutants? 
Like, how many sites did Iron Horse supply soil to if only 424 had elevated contaminant levels? That doesn't seem right, you feel me? 
I'm no expert, but it seems like Detroit's got some big-time cleanup bills comin' its way. And if contractors are tryin' to pull a fast one by using unapproved soil sources... that's just not cool 
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. This whole thing stinks of a potential cover-up, if you ask me... 
the city's tryin to cover it up but there r still investigations goin on n some contractors mighta even done it on purpose 
anyone think dey'll get away w/it tho? anyway u can read more about it here: 
. I remember when Flint was going through its own water crisis a few years ago, and we were all talking about how hard it is to clean up toxic soil 
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. 27k homes down, but at what cost? I mean, the city's got a legit concern about contaminated soil and they're not even being transparent about it. It sounds like they're just sweeping the problems under the rug and hoping no one questions it. I'm all for revitalizing Detroit, but this whole process is moving way too fast without proper checks in place 
. What's really going on with Iron Horse and Gayanga Co.? Why are they getting away with it? And what about those 424 sites where contaminant levels were detected? Are we really just gonna leave that up to Mannik & Smith Group to test out? It don't add up, fam 
. I mean, 27,000 homes gone in like 5 years? That's crazy. And they're still finding out that some of these demolition sites were using contaminated soil? Like, what even is that?! 
And it sounds like there's been some shady stuff going on with contractors... that doesn't make me feel too good about things. Can we trust that the city is doing everything they can to get this right and fix up any damage before it's too late? 
That's like, a crazy pace! But at the same time, I get why there are concerns about environmental cleanup now. I mean, who wants polluted soil spreading around and causing more problems down the line? 
And it's not just the city itself that needs to be on top of this - contractors and suppliers also gotta take responsibility for their actions.
! What if some of those pollutants end up in our waterways or soil? The city's all talkin' about remediation and gettin' reimbursed from contractors, but what if it's too little, too late? 
, but at the same time, I'm really worried about the environmental impact of using contaminated soil during the process 
. 27k houses are gone in 11 yrs thats crazy. but the fact that they might've used toxic soil at demolition sites is just horrific 
. Demolishing 27,000 houses in one go is already a lot to handle, but now we're talking about contaminated soil and environmental cleanup? It's a whole new level of worrying 