Christina Hall

Detroit Free Press

Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday declared a state of emergency for Macomb County because of the sinkhole in Fraser, clearing the way for state resources — hopefully funding — to help with repairs and replacement costs of a sewer interceptor under 15 Mile Road.

Snyder's declaration comes one day after Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel declared a county state of emergency that is to last seven days. In a letter to Snyder, Hackel asked that "consideration be given, if conditions warrant, to petitioning the President of the United States for assistance."

The state declaration can last through Feb. 3.

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"The terrible situation in Fraser has displaced families and caused a burden to those living in the area," Snyder said in a news release. "The state is committed to using all of its resources and working with local partners to ensure this community recovers and residents return to a sense of normalcy."

The state declaration opens up state resources and authorizes the Michigan State Police emergency management and homeland security division to coordinate state efforts.

"We are extremely appreciative of the governor having such a quick turnaround," Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller told the Free Press. "This will really assist us in opening up potential — and I say, stress, — potential other sources of funding whether that be (through) the state revolving fund, whether that be through FEMA, whether that be through, perhaps, federal highways for the road reconstruction on 15 Mile."

Miller said officials probably will ask the state delegation for Macomb County to assist with a direct appropriation given the "size of this challenge and the scope of the amount of money that is gonna cost us to actually have a fix here and what we've spent so far." She said officials are hoping to find additional sources of funding rather than it being all born by the locales, specifically the 11 communities in the drainage district in the county.

In a news release, Miller said the governor declaration clears the way for Macomb County "to explore all possible options of state and federal funding."

Officials have condemned three of 23 homes near the sinkhole on 15 Mile, with the other 20 families possibly being able to return home Monday. Other county residents have been asked to limit water usage.

In his letter, Hackel requested specific state help to supplement local response efforts to include financial assistance including, but not limited, to activation of the state disaster and emergency contingency fund, assistance through other state agencies and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program.

Miller said as part of the county declaration, officials would try to assess all of the current costs. She said it was unknown how much the sinkhole will cost to repair, but previously speculated it would be in the tens of millions of dollars.

County officials said a bond sale is possible and ratepayers in the district would be paying for the repair work, possibly through a rate hike.

A sinkhole that developed on 15 Mile in Sterling Heights in 2004 cost $53 million to repair.

Hackel said that said more than 200,000 homes and businesses and more than 500,000 residents could be impacted should the ground shift, the sinkhole expand or severe weather impact the area and overwhelm the emergency bypass sewer system. Because of the instability of the soil and lack of sufficient backup systems to handle wet weather events, his letter stated, "we will be unable to prevent sewage discharges and overflows into homes, businesses, local drains and rivers creating a potential public health emergency."

Earlier this week, Miller outlined a theory that a hole bored into the sewer line nearly 40 years ago may be the cause of the sinkhole and possibly the one in 2004 in Sterling Heights.The holes had been bored in 1979 at either end of a 1978 sewer line collapse to test how far the damage extended and further investigate that collapse.

Contact Christina Hall: chall99@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.