Two congressional leaders are jointly calling for increased oversight of blight remediation efforts across Michigan, including Detroit’s beleaguered demolition program — the subject of several recent high-profile incidents.

The move comes after the Free Press published investigations this year outlining concerns about the city's quality controls within the federally funded program, which is overseen by the Detroit Land Bank Authority and Detroit Building Authority.

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Congresswomen Brenda Lawrence and Rashida Tlaib on Thursday formally sent a request to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, according to letters obtained by the Free Press.

A spokeswoman said the letter also will be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

The pair urged both state agencies to fully implement recommendations made in 2017 by the federal Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and Army Corps of Engineers to address issues associated with blight remediation programs across southeastern Michigan. It was unclear why those recommendations have not been enacted already.

“With over 11,000 homes demolished in Wayne County, we are requesting MDEQ and MSHDA to take a deeper look into the Blight Elimination Program, as well as provide an update on the plan of action regarding oversight of this issue,” Lawrence said in a statement, adding that she was "deeply" concerned.

Tlaib and Lawrence stated that as members of Congress, they have the responsibility to act as "stewards of federal funds and ensure those funds are used in a way that is beneficial to our constituents."

"More importantly, the potential use of contaminated and unverified sources of dirt being used to fill these demolition sites presents an alarming lack of oversight that could have public health ramifications for thousands of MIchiganders," they wrote in letters to MSHDA and MDEQ leadership. "Unfortunately, recent reporting indicates that the blight elimination program is not functioning in the way it should."

A Free Press investigation in February revealed that federal authorities were probing whether contaminated dirt was potentially used to fill sites across Detroit.

"We look forward to working with you on the federal level to ensure that all MIchiganders know whether or not the soil being used to fill the demolition holes represents a public health issue," Lawrence and Tlaib wrote.

The federal government also is investigating whether some companies used free dirt obtained from a variety of unverified sources and then passed it off as an approved residential dirt source before billing the demolition program for materials they never actually bought.

After the Free Press investigation, City Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield called for congressional hearings to be held on the city's federally funded demolition program. State Rep. LaTanya Garrett also called for state-level hearings.

Federal agents are also now investigating who was involved in an alleged scheme where a Chicago-based company tore down homes in Detroit and hid the debris under layers of dirt.

Agents questioned some McDonagh Demolition Inc. workers about whether they'd ever seen "payoffs" or shoddy work happening under the Detroit demolition program, during visits earlier this month at their homes, people familiar with the situation told the newspaper.

The company previously said in a statement that it conducted its own internal investigation and "uncovered evidence that individuals acted on their own, without the knowledge, authorization or consent of McDonagh ownership or management."

MSHDA spokeswoman Katie Bach said the agency received the letter and is planning a "detailed response."

"We have consistently sought accountability as part of our program oversight, whether for procurement, invoicing, environmental safety or any other facet of the program," Bach said. "In fact, in 2016, we asked U.S. Treasury to temporarily suspend Detroit’s program while processes and procedures were put in place to address audit concerns."

Bach noted that in recent weeks environmental and health and safety concerns have been raised, and the agency has taken them "seriously by investigating and responding with added protections to ensure public safety and improve the demolition program."

The city, including Mayor Mike Duggan, has defended its demolition process in recent weeks.

Brian Farkas, Director of Special Projects for the Detroit Building Authority said in a statement that "public health and safety have been our top priorities since the earliest days of the city’s demolition program."

Farkas said Detroit’s demolition team has worked closely with SIGTARP and the City’s Inspector General on the investigation.

"We welcome the opportunity to address concerns expressed by Rep. Lawrence and Rep. Tlaib," Farkas said. "We will be reaching out to their offices in the near future to set up a tour of the demolition program to help them better understand our thorough environmental safety measures."

Duggan announced last month that the land bank will no longer oversee the city's demolition program by the end of this year. Demolitions are expected to be fully administered by the city. A timeline of the transition period wasn't immediately clear.

"The land bank will be out of the demolition business," Duggan said, while addressing the City Council on March 7. "At this point ... we're done."

Tlaib said in a statement that families want blighted homes removed from their neighborhoods but they also want their communities "free of contamination and materials harmful to their health."

“Too long have communities in the 13th Congressional Ddistrict been impacted by pollution and contamination in their air, soil, and for many, their water — we cannot have a Blight Elimination Program that adds to this harm," Tlaib said. Our residents deserve to know that demolitions are being performed in the most environmentally friendly and safest way possible. I look forward to working with MDEQ and MSDHA to ensure that our residents are protected. I will continue to take action to help make sure this is happening.”

Kat Stafford writes enterprise and investigative stories about Detroit. Contact her: kstafford@freepress.com or 313-223-4759.

