Freedom Township residents looking for more safety assurances
A construction update showing the expansion of the Freedom Township Compressor Station over the past two years.
Despite an October 17 virtual discussion of the safety issues at the Consumers Energy Compressor Station in Freedom Township, that highlighted the excellent safety record at the plant, many Freedom residents remain concerned that there are a number of different issues that affect their families’ safety, that aren’t being adequately addressed.
The virtual event hosted by Consumers Energy was originally planned as a physical tour of the newly expanded and renovated facility, but due to COVID-19 concerns, a virtual format was substituted. Township residents had an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters, who included John Broschak and Stephanie Blatt of Consumers Energy, among other Consumers’ staff, plus Dave Halteman, Emergency Manager of Washtenaw County.
In a letter distributed by Consumers Energy following the virtual tour, the Freedom Compressor team noted, “During the virtual open house, Consumers Energy public safety experts presented our safety protocols and training associated with compressor stations and pipelines. Yearly training exercises with fire, police, emergency managers and station employees are performed using the Dept. of Homeland Security’s Incident Command System. We also work very closely with the Washtenaw County Emergency Manager and township elected officials. In addition, we invite a township resident representative (Lon Nordeen) to observe our drills to better understand and relay information to residents.”
Halteman, the Washtenaw County Emergency Manager, introduced the WCSO’s new Everbridge system, which just debuted in August, at the virtual meeting. The letter to residents also reiterated the importance of subscribing to this free service, which will provide emergency updates from around the County via email, text, or phone call. Halteman explained in a later conversation that the system does not require a smart phone to be effective, and can also call land lines–which is an important component in Freedom Township, many areas of which do not have adequate cell phone or internet service available.
During the virtual presentation, Broschak acknowledged that safety has long been a priority for the Freedom Compressor plant. “We’re very prominent for the lake area, and Freedom in general,” he said. “There have been situations in the past that could have been handled better. And we realize that one way of communicating does not always meet everyone’s needs, whether it’s an emergency or a non-emergency situation. Overall, we want residents to be comfortable,” co-existing with what is now the township’s largest taxpayer.
Although the county and Consumers Energy both say they are committed to providing a safe environment in the township, some residents are concerned that the township board is not doing its part.
“We just want to be proactive,” said Beth Heuser, an active member of the Pleasant Lake Property Owners Association (PLPOA), and a frequent attendee at township meetings and other events. “In general, that’s not the way (the board) operates–they are more complaint-driven.
“Our new supervisor, Larry Lindemann, he’s done all the jobs in the township; he’s really resourceful and knows a lot. He follows through, but he needs to step up before it becomes a problem. We need more forward thinking on the board. Some board members will do research, if they’re interested enough. Or if it’s a farm issue. But it’s not just about the farms–we’re all in this together.”
The PLPOA have presented more than 150 letters from residents across the township, not just lake residents, requesting a viable safety plan for the township and reliable high-speed internet service be made available to Freedom Township.
“We have a draft safety plan but no warning system(s) to protect residents in the event of a real emergency due to pipeline, gas plant fires, explosions, natural or other disasters,” the letter states in regard to a safety plan. “Yet, we need to go no further than Midland County to see the life-saving value of safety plans, practice and warning systems. There were no major injuries or fatalities following the May 19, 2020 Sanford Dam failure since Midland County and local townships had safety plans in place, ran practice sessions, sent out Nixle-like telephone alerts targeted to residents in the direct flood areas, and had police and first responders go door to door to warn residents to flee before the water arrived.”
The second major request stated in the letter says, “In addition, the lack of fiber optic or other advanced high-speed internet services in our township has been a problem for years. The COVID-19 situation now highlights that deficit. More residents are working from home; more businesses are operating out of homes; and, more students (kindergarten through college and adult education) are taking their classes from home. The need for high-speed internet has never been greater and more essential. Each day that passes without quality high-speed internet services puts Freedom Township residents at greater economic and educational disadvantage.”
While the letter concludes that these two essential components are inter-connected and deserving of the Township’s time and investment, it has not yet been formally responded to by the board. With new board leadership, Lon Nordeen, another active PLPOA member, says he hopes that recognition and consideration will be given to the large number of residents who signed the letter.
“You can’t separate crappy phone and internet service from safety,” he says. “As residents, we are frustrated. Our clerk, Valisa Bristle, has been the township’s representative to the broadband coalition and working on the issue for more than two years. But so far, only a limited amount of progress has been made–we now have a hot spot at the township hall. (Valisa) deserves credit and support for her efforts, along with those of Barb Fuller and the County Broadband Coalition … but gentrification is headed this way and the township would be wise not to overlook that fact. When people move out here, they are going to expect better.”
Among other requests, Heuser says, the PLPOA and many others would like to see a warning siren installed in the township, to help alert residents to potential issues including weather advisories, fires, safety issues at the compressor plant, and other emergencies.
“We have the largest concentration of pipelines in the county,” she asserts. “And we don’t have adequate notification systems for a location where there is limited internet and cell phone reception. A siren would alert everyone at the same moment, and that would be a huge help.”
Halteman said he would definitely support efforts to secure a siren warning system in Freedom Township, although he believes the Everbridge system to be adequate for many purposes. He noted again that a smart phone is not needed to receive the Everbridge alerts–they can be sent to a land line and also converted to voice messages or fax.
“At some point, there are limitations on what we can do,” he added. “There are many different approaches.”
He said that at this time, 80% of the county is covered by outdoor warning sirens; although the one located in the Village of Manchester is the closest to Freedom Township and with a two-mile radius, doesn’t reach far enough to alert most Freedom residents. He added that locations are coordinated for maximum effectiveness, and the smaller population makes these systems somewhat “less effective” in the rural townships. But he acknowledges that they can be an important component for safety.
“Consumers were considering adding the capability of triggering the siren locally if it affected the pumping station,” he said. “We are still working to refine the Everbridge system so that it can be more targeted to people’s local needs. We don’t want to give them ‘warning fatigue’ by issuing alerts that are not relevant to their area, and then they won’t be as attentive when an important alert comes along.”
So changes may be coming, but they are coming slowly. And while the county and Consumers Energy are in line with the more proactive stance taken by the PLPOA and other township residents, many Freedom Township residents remain discontented, as they wait for a response from their board.
“We are a voice, a solid population, and we’re the ones who are closest to the plant,” Heuser concluded. “We want to be heard.”
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