♪
>> Karen: TONIGHT, A LOCAL 4
EXCLUSIVE.
THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GREEN OOZE MESS IN MADISON
GREEN OOZE MESS IN MADISON
SHIITES -- HEIGHTS WHERE THE
PROBLEM STARTED.
>> Hank: WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR
PROPERTY IN DISARRAY, SIR?
>> Karen: IT HAS COST TAXPAYERS
MONEY, FORCED SEVERAL
INVESTIGATIONS AND CREATED A
HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.
>> Steve: AND SAYERS HAS
SURFACED AND WHERE HE SHOWED UP
CAUGHT SOME FOLKS BY SURPRISE.
CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR HANK
WINCHESTER IS LIVE ON THIS.
HANK, YOU RECENTLY TRACKED HIM
DOWN.
>> Hank: AND STEVE, WE CERTAINLY
DID.
AND YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD
WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS
BUILDING THAT HAS CAUSED SO MANY
ISSUES, BUT THIS IS WHERE HE
SHOWED UP LAST WEEK TO THE
SURPRISE OF THE EPA, THE POLICE,
AND EVEN US.
HE’S THE MAN AT THE CENTER OF
THE GREEN OOZE CONTROVERSY.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR PROPERTY
IN DISARRAY LIKE THIS, SIR?
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE’VE
TRACKED DOWN GARY SAYERS AND WE
WERE STUNNED TO SEE WHERE OUR
CAMERAS CAPTURED HIM.
MORE ON THE SURPRISE ENCOUNTER
IN A MINUTE.
RIGHT NOW, THE MAYOR OF MADISON
HEIGHTS.
>> WE HAVE BEEN BATTLING THIS
SITUATION FOR YEARS.
♪
>> Hank: SAYERS AND HIS
PROPERTIES FIRST GOT WIDESPREAD
PUBLIC ATTENTION WHEN TOXIC
GREEN OOZE FROM THE BUILDING IN
MADISON HEIGHTS WAS SPOTTED
SEEPING ON TO I-696 LAST
DECEMBER.
AT THE TIME, SAYERS HIMSELF HAD
JUST ENTERED FEDERAL PRISON
AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO FELONY
HAZARDOUS WASTE STORAGE.
AT THAT TIME, WE CAPTURED HIM
OUTSIDE OF FEDERAL COURT AND
THEN VANISHED FROM THE PUBLIC
EYE AFTER ENTERING FEDERAL
CUSTODY.
BUT THE DEBATE OVER THE
ENVIRONMENTAL MESS WAS HEATING
UP.
>> SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LACK OF WORK
THAT WAS DONE.
>> Gov. Whitmer: THERE’S NO
QUESTION THAT THE AMOUNT OF
CHEMICALS AND WHAT WAS LEFT
BEHIND, THE OWNER IS PAYING A
PRICE FOR.
>> Hank: THERE WERE HEARINGS IN
LANSING, TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN
MADISON HEIGHTS AND TOWN HALL
MEETINGS AND DEBATE OVER WHO
DROPPED THE BALL.
HE HAD VIOLATIONS WITH THE
CONSTITUENT -- WITH THE CITY OF
DETROIT AND MADISON HEIGHTS,
DATING BACK MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
WE NEVER SAW OR HEARD FROM HIM.
MY REPEATED CALLS TO HIS
ATTORNEY EARLIER THIS YEAR WERE
IGNORED.
WE DID KNOW ONE THING: HE WAS
CONTINUING TO BATTLE THE CITY OF
MADISON HEIGHTS FOR CONTROL OVER
HIS PROPERTY.
EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING IS
CONDEMNED AND TENTATIVELY SLATED
FOR DEMOLITION, HE WAGED AN
ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE TO STOP IT,
ANOTHER COURT HEARING SLATED FOR
DECEMBER.
LAST THURSDAY, SAYERS, TO THE
SURPRISE OF MANY, SHOWED UP AT
THE BUILDING IN MADISON HEIGHTS
THAT’S THE CENTER OF THIS
ENVIRONMENTAL SCANDAL.
WE’RE TOLD HE WANTED INSIDE TO
LOOK THINGS OVER.
POLICE WERE CALLED AND HE WAS
TOLD TO LEAVE.
HE TRAVELED DOWN I-75 TO DETROIT
TO HIS OTHER PROPERTY THAT’S NOT
ONLY A HUGE MESS BUT A POTENTIAL
DANGER.
IT’S HIGH WHERE SAYERS
EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP AND WE
DECIDED TO GIVE HIM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR PROPERTY
IN DISARRAY LIKE THIS, SIR?
YOU NEED TO ANSWER SOME
QUESTIONS.
YOU NEED TO ANSWER SOME
QUESTIONS!
WHY AREN’T YOU BEING RESPONSIBLE
ABOUT THIS.
SIR, I’LL RUN ALL DAY IF YOU
WANT ME TO.
YOU OWE THE PEOPLE AN ANSWER.
>> Hank: HE STAYED SILENT AND
REFUSED TO ANSWER THE TOUGH
QUESTIONS.
WHY?
WHY DID THINGS GET TO THIS
POINT?
WHY IS HE STILL BATTLING WITH
THE CITY OF MADISON HEIGHTS?
AND WHY DID THINGS GET SO OUT OF
CONTROL IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I WANT TO READ TO YOU PART OF
THE STATEMENT I RECEIVED FROM
THE EPA.
IT READS: THE EPA HAS SPENT
APPROXIMATELY $3 MILLION ON CLEAN-UP EFFORTS, COLLECTED A
CLEAN-UP EFFORTS, COLLECTED A
TOTAL OF 353, 878 GALLONS OF CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER.
>> Hank: WE’RE LIVE HERE TONIGHT
IN MADISON HEIGHTS, HANK
WINCHESTER, "HELP ME HANK."
>> Steve: WHAT IS THE CITY OF
MADISON HEIGHTS SAYING AT THIS
POINT?
>> Hank: FROM THE MAYOR ON DOWN,
CITY LEADERS ARE FRUSTRATED AND
TICKED OFF.
THEY HAVE RELEASED A VERY
DETAILED STATEMENT.
I’LL READ PART OF IT TO YOU.
GARY SAYERS HAS SHOWN TOTAL
DISREGARD FOR THE LAW AT THE
STAIL STATE LEVEL AND EMPLOYEES
AND THE RESIDENTS TO LIVE HERE
IN MADISON HEIGHTS.
THERE’S ANOTHER HEARING
REGARDING THIS BUILDING AND THE
OWNERSHIP BEHIND ME SCHEDULED
FOR MID-DECEMBER.
STEVE, KAREN, BACK TO YOU.