MILWAUKEE — The City of Milwaukee said that the recent discovery of toxic vapor at a new affordable housing development is an issue between the state and the developers of the property.
"Our permitting does not accommodate for those sorts of issues," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. "The city was not even aware of those issues when the permit was issued from The Community Within the Corridor."
Last Saturday, the Milwaukee Health Department evacuated around 150 people from The Community Within the Corridor after the state Department of Natural Resources alerted them to a health hazard.
Elevated levels of the chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) were identified in both occupied and unoccupied residential spaces, according to health authorities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says TCE is a known carcinogen.
According to the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, it issued temporary occupancy permits for The Community Within the Corridor at 32nd and Center last July and then extended the permits in December.
DNS said it was unaware of the possible contamination and not notified by the property owner of its communication with other health agencies about TCE levels and possible resident exposure.
The department also said it doesn't have the resources, nor is it required to "proactively cross-check with multiple health agencies" about environmental investigations.
TMJ4's Bruce Harrison asked Mayor Johnson if DNS should have protocols in place that would allow for those checks.
"I think in light of what's happened here, it's good for a review, to make sure there are no steps being missed, especially when there are different levels of government that have different levels of responsibility here," said Johnson.
DNS also said if it's made aware of health hazards, they could respond by withholding full occupancy certificates.
The Department of Natural Resources said it has no authority over occupancy permits, but it strongly recommended the developer complete full commissioning of a vapor mitigation system before moving people in.
According to public records, testing of that system is scheduled for completion in August.
In a statement, the developers said they notified health authorities last week as soon as they learned about the health hazards.
We asked them for an interview to ask specifically why they chose not to follow DNR guidelines for extended testing of their vapor mitigation system.
They told TMJ4 they will make someone available soon.
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