An aerial view of the Gordie Howe bridge construction site on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Photo by: Emily Lawler
DETROIT, MI — Michigan environmental regulators are taking feedback on an air pollutant emissions permit request for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, which can be seen rising on both sides of the Detroit River after work began in 2018.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is taking public comment on the permit application until March 14 and has scheduled a virtual public hearing for March 1 at 6 p.m.
According to the application, natural gas and diesel generators would be installed at the U.S. Port of Entry to heat and cool buildings and ensure that the border crossing is always open.
The application says the facility would install a 1.1-megawatt natural gas generator to provide heat, baseload and backup power should there be a utility service outage. Additional emergency power would come from four 2-megawatt diesel generators. Five natural gas boilers and one natural gas backup furnace would provide building heat.
Other smaller emission sources would include natural gas emergency generators, boilers, radiant heaters, hot water heaters; and one diesel emergency fire pump engine.
The facility has the potential to emit significant levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases; approximately 49 tons per year, according to the application. Other potential annual emissions include 17 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 34 tons of carbon monoxide and 3 tons of particulate matter. The facility is considered a minor emissions source, overall.
The facility will also emit toxic air contaminants acrolein and formaldehyde, but below state health screening levels, according to the application.
Computer modeling of ambient pollutant dispersion showed that projected emissions fall below national air quality standards, according to EGLE.
The application figures do not account for emissions from bridge traffic.
A map in the Bridging North America emissions permit application with Michigan EGLE shows the location of the bridge path and U.S. Port of Entry.
The U.S. Port of Entry, where people and goods will be screened before crossing, is being built along W. Jefferson Ave. across from the Historic Fort Wayne city riverfront park in the Delray neighborhood, a community in close proximity to polluting industries and Interstate-75.
Nick Leonard, director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center in Detroit, said the potential NOx emissions are largely from emergency diesel generators and it’s likely that actual volume of emission will be lower than projected figures.
He questioned whether formaldehyde emissions from the bridge facility, when combined with other sources in the area, could cause “ambient formaldehyde concentrations above the secondary risk screening level that present a significant increase in cancer risk.”
“It’s important to note that this permit application only accounts for the stationary sources of air pollution at the GHIB bridge footprint,” Leonard said. “Obviously, there will be significant air quality impacts from the mobile sources using the bridge.”
Construction of the bridge is expected to finish in late 2024 or early 2025, according to the permit application. Parts of I-75 are being rebuilt to create an interchange for bridge traffic.
The bridge towers under construction will eventually reach above 700 feet, which is taller than the Mackinac Bridge and nearly the height of the Renaissance Center in Detroit.
The U.S. Port of Entry will be owned and operated by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), leased by Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), a Canadian crown corporation., and operated by Bridging North America (BNA), a private-sector partner to the authority.
The $5.7 billion bridge is being financed by Canada. It was fiercely fought for years by the owner of the nearby Ambassador Bridge. When finished, it will feature uninterrupted freeway traffic flow between U.S. interstates and Highway 401 in Ontario, as opposed to the Ambassador Bridge, which connects to the highway via city streets in Windsor.
Windsor streets have been getting high profile international attention this week as a convoy of COVID-19 vaccine mandate protestors on the Canadian side have blockaded access to the Ambassador Bridge, disrupting a vital supply chain link between the U.S. and Canada.
The Ambassador Bridge carries $323 million in goods every day, and roughly a quarter of the trade between Michigan and Canada. It’s key to transporting a total of $12.8 billion in motor vehicles and auto parts across the border.
Roy Norton, former Consul General of Canada in Detroit, indicated the blockade demonstrates the needs for the new Gordie Howe Bridge in remarks to Politico this week. The blockade is already causing auto plant production pauses in Michigan and elsewhere.
“We’re not (paying for the new bridge) because somebody decided to become benevolent. We’re doing it because it’s that critical to our economy,” said Norton.
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