Sybill Oil Corporation
Detroit, Mi
May 2006 / December 2006.
We often find ourselves in the Detroit neighborhood of Delray because of its proximity to the bridge, its desolation and its lack of people. Delray has a large number of abandoned buildings and this is one of them.
The Sybill Oil Corporation from Fort Street.
Sybill Oil Corporation - a used oil recycling facility.
I thought nothing of this place & assumed it was just another boring building shell until I googled Sybill one day. I found quite a disturbing history for a corporation around for only 10 years!
Sybill from the train tracks on Military Street. I'm still unsure if the far left building is part of Sybill, but I would assume since it's connected by that bridge.
The site was originally a Detroit Water Treatment facility; then a GM oil processing site & Sybill Oil Corporation began in 1991. Sybill violated many environmental protocols through its 10-year existence. In 1998, it was accused of accepting oil with hazardous waste, which resulted in a $148,000 fine. Also, throughout its 10-year life span, it accumulated many air & wastewater violations from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
The facilities gained notoriety in the neighborhood because of the odor which was emitted. "A sickening mix of sewage water and hot tar" is how the stench was described by Dan Pederson. That stench, combined with its proximity to 5 local schools, eventually led to a class action suit filed on behalf of 27,000 local residents.
Protests were conducted and the class action lawsuit gained some attention from local news outlets. I couldn't determine how long the lawsuit took; but eventually it resulted in a verdict where the residents gained a substantial monetary sum for damages & Sybill was ordered to conduct its operations under strict new anti-air pollution protocols.
Sybill couldn't (or wouldn't) come to follow the protocols and declared bankruptcy in 2001.
A panoramic look inside the main Sybill building left.
Sybill left behind much of their operations after it had declared bankruptcy in August, 2001.
In 2002, General Motors & Rouge Steel voluntarily removed 1.3 million gallons of wastewater at the site.
In 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency performed a cleanup of the site after concerns were brought forth because of flammable materials & the proximity to the Detroit River. Four companies (GM, Ford's, Rouge Steel & Detroit Diesel), all who had utilized the facility during its tenure; contributed sums of money to perform the $1 million dollar cleanup. The cleanup included the disposal of 26 above ground storage tanks, 32 000 kilograms of bulk waste, 3.75 million litres of waste liquids, 200+ chemical drums & a laboratory area.
Sybill has sat dead ever since. In an area where grass lots can't even attract new business; how is a chemically contaminated site going to fare?
Cancer water.
Walking out from the first building and into an adjacent building - we see this thing on the outside.
The Fondelah let me know that this is a cooling tower.
Behind the cooling tower.
Looking upwards.
Inside the second large building.
Close-up of the Tercel (?). Someone from Birmingham is not happy.
Truck front.
A wall that separated the first large building from the second. There's probably a way between the two (along with some other rooms), but we didn't have a flashlight to find out.
Garbage Pile.
Measuring stick.
Some deep stagnant water.
The stick was touching the bottom at this point.
Outside near the pile of garbage.
We wondered if HEAK started to paint this, then realized that the steel support didn't really look too safe.
Large storage tank.
A look inside the storage tank.
Where the storage tanks once stood. The tanks were likely sold (or stolen) for scrap metal. I have to assume sold because of the size of the tanks.
The tanks disappeared soon after our May visit.
Missing tank.
Another one of the only buildings left standing - a small building to take care of any fires.
Sybill nowadays sits vacant and deserted. Its only use, as a palette for graffiti artists and a location for some shady business that's going on nearby. I have no idea what that business may be, but some old guy took a picture of my license plate when I sped by...good ole' strange Detroit.
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Sources: 1. EPA News Release 03-OPA187
2. Raising Suit Over Stink, Metro Times. 02-09-00
3. News Hits, Metro Times. 05-24-00
4. Macuga & Liddle Settled Cases
5. AmeriScan: December 15, 2003.
All information retrieved January 3rd, 2007.
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