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The Friday, Sept. 28 afternoon discussion with the energy company responsible financially and environmentally, and with the state regulating department was helpful, FOJR president Dr. John Richter said following the meeting.

"It was an informational, frank, open discussion and I think we all learned a lot," he said.

The overall problem begins at the Emmet County site of a former cement plant on US-31, just outside of the city of Petoskey. The nationally and internationally-known multi-million dollar Bay Harbor resort was developed by Dave Johnson. The resort stretches for five miles along Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay.

The kiln dust piles from cement production are still located on the land of the resort. The problem occurs when ground water mixes with kiln dust and forms toxic leachate. The leachate is discharging into the water of the bay. Leachate has a pH of 12 or more - a level equivalent to bleach.

Richter warns of the seriousness of the problem.

"This is a tragedy perpetuated upon the people and the water resources in Northern Michigan on an epic scale," Richter said, noting that mercury levels are dangerously high as well.

Friends of the Jordan River are concerned about contamination of the Jordan River, among other environmental and health problems.

The problem came home to the residents of Alba and Star Township in Antrim County when CMS Energy decided it wanted to bury the contamination in an underground well, an area that is basically in the residents' back yards. CMS has applied for a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. To date, a decision has not been made.

Star Township supervisor, Richard Steel, participated in the meeting on Friday. The area residents are very involved in opposing the well, he said, and others are supporting their stance.

"We have been and are receiving donations to the township to fight this," Steel said. "We don't intend to let it go by." The township has retained legal counsel and national and state lawmakers have been contacted. Besides Antrim county, Charlevoix, Emmet, Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties are opposed to the request for a well.

While the MDEQ engaged in a dialogue at the meeting with the FOJR representatives, CMS Energy offered little, Richter said. The discussion was based on finding practical and effective solutions to the problem. Speaking on behalf of FOJR, Richter said that it is a FOJR goal that CMS truly protects public health and the environment.

"Everyone at this table knows how we got here and we are not interested in finding fault or rehashing history," Richter said. "We are here to help you do it right, and if that's not possible, stop you from doing harm."

The FOJR presented a solution that would not threaten the residents or the environment of Alba and Star Township.

"The CKD (contaminated kiln dust) need to be entombed and contained so there is no leachate," Richter said.

Because cleanup costs are "enormous," Richter suggested that the financial burden be shared by all development parties, not just CMS.

No decisions were made at the meeting. The U.S. EPA and the MDEQ permit decisions are pending.