Detroit, MI

Detroit oil recycler drops application to reopen after fire: East side environmental activist ‘thrilled’

Published

1 month ago

August 6, 2026

Detroit oil recycler drops application to reopen after fire: East side environmental activist ‘thrilled’

by Dustin Blitchok, Planet Detroit
August 6, 2026

After years of air quality complaints and a June 2025 fire, an oil recycling facility on Detroit’s east side withdrew its effort to reopen Wednesday. Environmental advocates say it’s a victory made possible by residents raising their voice.

Aevitas Specialty Services withdrew its application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to rebuild Wednesday.

“This is an unprecedented win for our neighborhoods and residents who have been impacted by Aevitas’ pollution for over a decade,” Eden Bloom, an environmental activist who lives a half-mile from the facility, said in a statement.

The closure of Aevitas is due to residents organizing against the company’s effort to rebuild and reopen, he said.

Aevitas CEO Rob Slater said he would provide comment to Planet Detroit later Thursday.

The public comment period on Aevitas’ air quality permit application is closed, and a planned Aug. 18 public hearing at Wayne County Community College is canceled, EGLE said in a statement.

A new application by Aevitas would require “a thorough review and evaluation prior to being opened for public comment,” according to the state environmental regulator.

Demolition is underway at Aevitas, at 663 Lycaste St., near East Jefferson Avenue and St. Jean, and is scheduled to conclude Aug. 31, according to state documents.

Dust suppressing water spray was in use at the time of a July 29 inspection, and no dust issues were observed, according to an EGLE report.

‘I’m pinching myself’

Two of Bloom’s three children have asthma, he told Planet Detroit outside an EGLE open house held Wednesday at the Georgia Street Community Collective.

“Once you lose for so long, it’s hard to process a win. I’m pinching myself,” he said.

Bloom lives on Cadillac Boulevard. The experience in the neighborhood has been markedly different in the year since Aevitas shut down, he said.

“I’m thrilled. My trust is low. My hope is high.”

Andrew Bashi, attorney at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, said Aevitas’ shutdown shows “that environmental justice has real legal teeth.”

What’s been missing is leadership willing to use those teeth, he said in a statement.

“That is worth marking, and worth remembering the next time a fight like this comes to our doorstep.”

Oil recycler’s history of environmental complaints, fire

Aevitas received five air quality violations and 64 air complaint investigation reports from EGLE since 2012, Planet Detroit previously reported.

Aevitas handles and recycles used hydraulic oil from the automotive industry.

The Aevitas Specialty Servies fire, June 30, 2025. Photo courtesy of WDIV.

When the facility caught fire June 30, 2025, it extensively damaged waste treatment machinery and caused approximately 1,000 gallons of oily water to spill onto the street. The fire was brought under control after about seven hours.

In October, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution introduced by Councilmember Latisha Johnson that outlined pathways for the city to fine or penalize Canadian-owned Aevitas.

The company applied to the city to demolish a portion of the damaged building and expand the remainder from roughly 15,700 to 24,100 square feet.

Aevitas’ proposal to rebuild included the enclosure of some of its oil tanks, a scrubber system for odor control on some of them, and the installation of a foam fire suppression system.

The Detroit building department denied Aevitas’ application for special land use approval to rebuild and expand July 17.

The company did not appeal the city’s decision by the July 31 deadline, Bloom said.

Planet Detroit contacted the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department for comment on this story.

This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://planetdetroit.org/2026/08/detroit-oil-recycler-drops-reopening-plan/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://planetdetroit.org”>Planet Detroit </a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://planetdetroit.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cropped-globe-1-150×150.png” style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>

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Detroit oil recycler drops application to reopen after fire: East side environmental activist ‘thrilled’ <p>Dustin Blitchok, Planet Detroit<br /> August 6, 2026 <p>After years of air quality complaints and a June 2025 fire, an oil recycling facility on Detroit’s east side withdrew its effort to reopen Wednesday. Environmental advocates say it’s a victory made possible by residents raising their voice. <p>Aevitas Specialty Services withdrew its application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to rebuild Wednesday. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>“This is an unprecedented win for our neighborhoods and residents who have been impacted by Aevitas’ pollution for over a decade,” Eden Bloom, an environmental activist who lives a half-mile from the facility, said in a statement. <p>The closure of Aevitas is due to residents organizing against the company’s effort to rebuild and reopen, he said. <p>Aevitas CEO Rob Slater said he would provide comment to Planet Detroit later Thursday. <p>The public comment period on Aevitas’ air quality permit application is closed, and a planned Aug. 18 public hearing at Wayne County Community College is canceled, EGLE said in a statement. <p>A new application by Aevitas would require “a thorough review and evaluation prior to being opened for public comment,” according to the state environmental regulator. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>Demolition is underway at Aevitas, at 663 Lycaste St., near East Jefferson Avenue and St. Jean, and is scheduled to conclude Aug. 31, according to state documents. <p>Dust suppressing water spray was in use at the time of a July 29 inspection, and no dust issues were observed, according to an EGLE report. <p>‘I’m pinching myself’ <p>Two of Bloom’s three children have asthma, he told Planet Detroit outside an EGLE open house held Wednesday at the Georgia Street Community Collective. <p>“Once you lose for so long, it’s hard to process a win. I’m pinching myself,” he said. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>Bloom lives on Cadillac Boulevard. The experience in the neighborhood has been markedly different in the year since Aevitas shut down, he said. <p>“I’m thrilled. My trust is low. My hope is high.” <p>Andrew Bashi, attorney at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, said Aevitas’ shutdown shows “that environmental justice has real legal teeth.” <p>What’s been missing is leadership willing to use those teeth, he said in a statement. <p>“That is worth marking, and worth remembering the next time a fight like this comes to our doorstep.” <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>Oil recycler’s history of environmental complaints, fire <p>Aevitas received five air quality violations and 64 air complaint investigation reports from EGLE since 2012, Planet Detroit previously reported. <p>Aevitas handles and recycles used hydraulic oil from the automotive industry. <p>When the facility caught fire June 30, 2025, it extensively damaged waste treatment machinery and caused approximately 1,000 gallons of oily water to spill onto the street. The fire was brought under control after about seven hours. <p>In October, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution introduced by Councilmember Latisha Johnson that outlined pathways for the city to fine or penalize Canadian-owned Aevitas.<div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>The company applied to the city to demolish a portion of the damaged building and expand the remainder from roughly 15,700 to 24,100 square feet. <p>Aevitas’ proposal to rebuild included the enclosure of some of its oil tanks, a scrubber system for odor control on some of them, and the installation of a foam fire suppression system. <p>The Detroit building department denied Aevitas’ application for special land use approval to rebuild and expand July 17. <p>The company did not appeal the city’s decision by the July 31 deadline, Bloom said. <p>Planet Detroit contacted the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department for comment on this story.<div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"> </div></div> <p>This article first appeared on Planet Detroit and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit native shares first-hand account from Ground Zero

Published

1 hour ago

September 11, 2026

Press Room

Detroit native shares first-hand account from Ground Zero

On Sept. 11, 2001, Detroit native Laura L’Esperance was only five days into a new role at Merrill Lynch in the World Financial Center, located right across the street from the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

She says she was just starting her workday, chatting in the doorway with her new boss, when she heard the terrifying sound of the first plane crashing into the north tower.

“[We] kind of ran to the windows and looked up, and saw the really dark smoke,” L’Esperance said.

Not long after, the second tower was hit — followed by the collapse of the south tower.

“I remember standing there and kind of watching the debris and the cloud tumbled down, and its kind of rolling, and thinking ‘that’s moving really fast, that’s coming down really fast,’ and we all just like turned and ran.”

Hear L’Esperance’s full account using the video player at the top of this article.

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Detroit, MI

Cosm Detroit wins raves as sold-out crowd sinks into immersive experience

Published

12 hours ago

September 11, 2026

Press Room

Cosm Detroit wins raves as sold-out crowd sinks into immersive experience

DETROIT — The first public visitors to Cosm Detroit got a chance Thursday evening to decide for themselves whether watching a football game inside an 87-foot-wide LED Dome lives up to the hype.

For Robert Jones of Belleville, it did.

“I feel like I’m in the end zone watching the game,” said Jones, 45. “I’m also at the 50-yard line watching the game.”

Jones was among the first members of the public experiencing Cosm Detroit when the new venue opened its doors at 25 Cadillac Square.

The San Francisco 49ers played the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, in the live shared reality presentation through NFL on Netflix at Cosm.

“It’s like a bird’s-eye view,” Jones said of his seat in the Dome. “Like I’m looking at it with my own eyes, not like I’m looking at a camera.”

For the fans filling the sold-out venue Thursday, the night was a chance to see whether Cosm Detroit provided a more immersive and premium way to watch sports and other events.

Some visitors watched the game from seats inside the Dome, while others watched from the venue’s halls and general admission areas. Servers moved through the venue, bringing food and drinks to patrons so they could stay in their seats and keep watching.

George Newman III, 45, and his son, Hunter, 7, ate burgers as they watched the game from one of the outdoor decks. Newman of Warren said the experience lived up to his expectations, particularly the size of the Dome screen and the ability to feel immersed in what was happening.

“I think this lives up to the hype,” he said. “It’s like everything that you see and heard about, like the big screen, just being able to hear everything.”

Newman said he plans to return for a Detroit Lions away game and was interested in other programming at Cosm, including movies.

The Detroit location is the fourth Cosm venue, joining locations in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta, with another planned for Cleveland. The venue anchors Bedrock’s development at Cadillac Square.

The 70,000-square-foot, multi-level site includes a 500-seat Dome with an 87-foot-diameter LED display and a 300-capacity hall with a wall-to-wall LED screen. There is also a rooftop deck overlooking downtown Detroit. The building can accommodate 1,200 guests.

For football games, Cosm use a minimum of four cameras in the stadiums to capture the action using Cosm technology.

Cosm CEO Jeb Terry Jr. has said the company has seen fans embrace the immersive format and believes there is an appetite for premium, in-person experiences.

Leneaka Andrews, 51, of Detroit was one of those fans. The casino worker was the third person in line Thursday evening and said the venue offers another entertainment option for the city.

“We needed it,” she said. “The city did good.”

Andrews said her 56-inch television at home doesn’t compare with the experience she had watching the game Thursday.

“This is on a whole ‘nother scale,” she said. She said she enjoyed chatting with a table of people she didn’t know and sharing the experience. She plans to return and has already bought tickets for two other football games.

Cosm’s schedule includes NFL games, soccer, the U.S. Open and other sporting events, along with films shown in the Dome. Depending on the event, tickets range from $11 for general admission to hundreds of dollars for premium seats for the more popular events.

Starting Friday, Cosm will show “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” with immersive elements, and themed food and drinks.

Andrews said she knew Detroit could handle a venue like Cosm, but wasn’t sure if people would be ready for such a big, new experience. She compared it to the arrival of Detroit’s casinos, saying, “We didn’t know if we were ready for the casinos, but those people ain’t stop coming. It’s just opening the doors. All you have to do is open the doors, they will come.”

Andrews said she was impressed with the opening-night turnout and atmosphere.

“We did it great tonight,” she said. “I don’t know what the rest of the nights will be like, but for us to have a night like this and the turnout, this is great.”

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

9 takeaways from Detroit Lions coordinators: Week 1 vs. Saints

Published

22 hours ago

September 10, 2026

Press Room

9 takeaways from Detroit Lions coordinators: Week 1 vs. Saints

The three Detroit Lions coordinator, Drew Petzing, Kelvin Sheppard, and Dave Fipp—all met with the media on Thursday to discuss the upcoming season and Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Here are my nine biggest takeaways from each session.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing

What he likes about Ben Bartch, guard rotations

We still don’t know who will line up at left guard to start the season: Ben Bartch or Christian Mahogany. Petzing was asked specifically about Bartch, and here’s what he had to offer about the veteran lineman.

“We talk about the physicality and the communication, probably the two most important things for an offensive lineman as a starting point outside of just winning your one-on-one. I think he’s done a really nice job of that,” Petzing said. “He’s a really smart player. He’s played in a couple different offenses and communicates well. The physicality is there, the finish is there, the attitude is there.”

As for the guard rotation, Petzing downplayed the panic over it. He said he’s been a part of it in Arizona, and while it’s not ideal, he thinks they’ll be fine if that’s the route they go.

“It’s an opportunity for those guys to continue to compete and earn their reps and to help this team win games,” Petzing said.

Juice Scruggs improving with play, confidence

The other key to Detroit’s offensive line is Scruggs, who is expected to step in for injured Cade Mays at center. Petzing said he challenged Scruggs early on to get louder and have more conviction in his pre-snap calls, and he’s risen to the occasion.

“If you don’t say anything or you’re too quiet, that’s where problems arise,” Petzing said. “Hey, at the end of the day, if all 11 people on the field are doing the same thing, we got a chance. Might not be the perfect thing, but as long as we’re on the same page, we got a chance to play good football. And I think he’s really embraced that. I think he’s done a nice job of that here really these last couple of weeks.”

Sam LaPorta can do everyting

One of the most anticipated developments with Petzing is how he’ll utilized Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta. He helped Cardinals tight end Trey McBride set NFL records, and with LaPorta’s game already so developed, the sky is the limit. Unsurprisingly, Petzing has come away impressed by the vast amount of things LaPorta can already do—well beyond just catching the football.

“He’s very dynamic in the passing game, big body, great body control, great hands, really good route runner, uses his body at the top of routes,” Petzing said. “But, I think his ability to do pass pro, to play in the run game, to play off the ball and on the move or outside the core is really impressive. I think there’s very few guys in the league that can do all of those jobs at such a high level. And I think when you have a guy like that, it does put a lot of stress on a defense.”

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard

Veteran safeties will give Lions MORE versatility than last year

Earlier this week, Lions coach Dan Campbell hyped up the secondary, with a particular emphasis on starting safeties Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox. Sheppard followed suit, noting that their extensive experience—16 seasons combined—will give Detroit the knowledge base to expand their defensive playlist.

“I have all the confidence in the world in these guys because—and, hell—we’re actually going to be able to do things that we weren’t able to do before,” Sheppard said.

He was asked to clarify if that meant more than what Detroit could do with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, to which he said he meant more generally last season.

He can’t wait to see Alim McNeill

A common theme of Sheppard’s press conference was to not hype up anyone or anything until the team actually takes the field on Sunday. There are too many unknowns. However, when it came to Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill, Sheppard couldn’t hold in his enthusiasm.

“I’m so excited for that player,” Sheppard said. “When I say it, it’s almost emotional because I know what he wanted to be last year and he just couldn’t. And it had nothing to do with, ‘Why isn’t Mac doing’ — no, he just couldn’t. A lot of that tape, he couldn’t even put his foot in the ground and plant, but he was still out there for his brothers. So I’m just telling you right here, September 13th, I cannot wait to see number 54.”

Don’t expect a ton of simulated pressure

One of the more trendy strategies on defense is what is known as “simulated pressure.” In short, it’s a defense feigning a lot of pressure pre-snap, only to have many players—sometimes unexpected players like defensive linemen—drop into coverage. The purpose is to speed up the opposing quarterback into a mistake while disguising both the coverage and pressure looks.

Sheppard said the versatility of DJ Wonnum and Derrick Moore being able to potentially drop into coverage does give them the versatility to utilize this strategy—while making a wise crack about the criticism he’s received for dropping Aidan Hutchinson into coverage.

“Yeah, it gives a lot of flex,” Sheppard said. “Hutch dropped two times and you’d have thought he dropped 20 from the word around the street. ‘Why is he in coverage?’ He dropped twice, guys. Let’s relax. But no, it gives you a lot of flexibility. You may see a d-tackle, d-end. These guys are so versatile now.”

But he did warn that it’s not his favorite strategy to use.

“I’m actually not a huge simulated guy,” Sheppard said. “So, it’s a time and a place for it, but I’m not just hell bent on simulating pressure.”

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp

Returners more or less confirmed

We already knew that Tom Kennedy was going to be the team’s starting punt returner after coach Dan Campbell spilled the beans earlier in the week.

When it comes to the kick returners, it certainly sounds like it’s going to be Kennedy and running back Jacob Saylors.

“We feel good about both those guys being back there,” Fipp said. “They both have experience doing it. Obviously, Saylors (did) a bunch a year ago.”

Last year, the Lions’ leading kick returners were Saylors (33 for 897 yards), Kennedy (16 for 447), and Kalif Raymond (six for 161).

As for why the Lions chose Kennedy over veteran Greg Dortch, who was cut by the team, Fipp passed the buck and said that was not his decision. He offered generic praise for both players.

Challenge of starting all over on scheme

I thought Fipp made a really good point about how job is much different from the other coordinators. While the offense and defense can start building their scheme in the spring—knowing which players they can rely on—the same can’t be said of Fipp. He often has to wait until after roster cuts to know which players he’ll have on special teams, and so when I asked him if he’s going to do anything different on kickoff this year, he said he needs to figure out what this newly formed unit can do well together.

“We don’t spend a lot of time on scheme in the preseason,” Fipp said. “It’s the last thing I’m worried about because you build something for this group of players, all of a sudden that group changes, that cut down day, and now you have a totally different group. So, ultimately for us, it’s putting these guys in as good a spot as we can do it going into the first game and then figuring out as we go the best way to put this thing together.”

Not worried about Jake Bates

Bates had a very up-and-down training camp and some of that spilled over to the preseason, where he missed two extra points in the finale. Fipp staunchly defended Bates, noting that every kicker goes through a process in the league that sometimes takes until Year 6 to really click.

“I feel good about Jake. I think a couple years ago I said there’s going to be a process of some ups and downs. I think historically, if you look at kickers, it doesn’t matter really who, but if you look at those guys, I mean, it takes some time to really develop and to lock into or get into a really good stride. When I say that, I—like he’s only missed three kicks under 50-yards since he’s been here, so he’s played pretty well for us. I think historically, if you look at some of the kickers who played, these guys like year six is when they’re starting to hit..”

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