Consumers Energy commits to further safety updates at Freedom Township plant

An invitation to "learn how Consumers Energy is increasing safety measures in Freedom Township" led to an important announcement about a long-awaited safety improvement at the Compressor Station near Pleasant Lake that dates back to 1947.

John Broschak, vice-president of gas operations at Consumers Energy, introduced the virtual announcement last Friday by saying that the company has "a long history in Freedom Township and our team has worked very hard to make sure that the current major upgrade is effective, efficient, and will improve our service and reduce the impact on residents."

Broschak continued that the $200 million in construction upgrades to the compressor station are essentially complete, and the legacy equipment (the oldest remaining on site) will be phased out and demolished by 2023.

As a follow up to the Consumers Energy virtual open house, held on October 17, 2020, Broschak added that the company had listened seriously to input from residents, township officials, and Washtenaw County Emergency Management Services. "We looked at what we could do to be better partners, and good neighbors," he said.

Consumers has partnered with Washtenaw County EMS to add its safety communications to the Everbridge emergency warning system, and in ongoing communications with residents over the past six months, has encouraged everyone to sign up for these messages at www.washtenaw.org/alerts. Alerts can be delivered to land lines as well as cell phones, and by email or even fax. All options will be provided when you sign up at the site.

The company has also added several new non-emergency contact points where residents can send messages to ask questions and alert Consumers if they see things they are worried about. In addition, a regular newsletter will be implemented in the coming weeks and months to keep residents informed of the activities at the plant and what Consumers is doing to support the community.

The blue dot on the map shows the approximate location of the new siren that will be on Consumers Energy property near Pleasant Lake. The southwest quadrant of the county has been under-represented with sirens compared to the rest of the county.

But the long-awaited news that Broschak delivered on Friday was the announcement that Consumers would be installing an emergency warning siren at its Freedom Township location by September of this year. Although owned and operated by Consumers Energy, the siren will be tied into the county's Everbridge system and will have dual ability to warn residents within a one-mile radius of the siren to go inside and check their Everbridge messages for further information and instructions.

The siren can be used not only for alerts from Consumers Energy, but also for weather, traffic, hazardous materials, and other emergency situations in the township.

State Rep Donna Lasinski (D-55th District) was part of the panel on the zoom call and thanked Consumers Energy for the generous donation of a siren, as well as David Halteman of Washtenaw EMS for his participation in making it happen.

"It is hugely important, with our broadband and cell phone issues in this area of the County, to have so many other avenues for information," Lasinski said. "There is never an easy answer, but the massive modernization by Consumers Energy has been a huge step to ensure safety in this community. We appreciate your involvement."

Halteman, also a panelist on the call, said he was "proud and happy to partner with Consumers Energy on this initiative," and added that it would be a huge improvement for the community to provide an extra layer of warning in the event of any type of emergency.

Halteman added, in response to a question from a resident, that the siren signal would be as strong as FCC regulations allow, just like all other sirens within the county, covering a radius of about one mile.

Township Supervisor Larry Lindemann also thanked Consumers, saying this was something that "really needed to be done." He applauded the company supporting improved safety within Freedom Township.

Broschak concluded that despite significant restoration efforts, "Our work is not done. There was a big gap we needed to address, and we will continue to work toward that," he said. "This is a big step forward, but it is still just a beginning. We want to be good neighbors, and we continue to uphold safety as our highest value."

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.