An update on Southwest Detroit Industrial Impacts: The Zug Island Ruling

In February 2026, a federal court delivered a major victory for Southwest Detroit residents, ruling against EES Coke and ordering DTE and its subsidiaries to pay $100 million within 90 days for violations against the Clean Air Act. An additional $20 million was required to create a community committee that will support a community health project. Lastly, DTE was ordered to reapply for new permits to operate the EES Coke facility, which would theoretically include stricter pollution control. DTE has recently appealed the decision, but community members celebrated the win, as the judge highlighted DTE’s high degree of control over emissions and refusal to comply with the EPA after a violation notice. The ruling represents a significant step toward accountability for legacy polluters and may set a precedent for stronger enforcement in other overburdened communities. On the ruling, Theresa Landrum notes that “Despite the current administration’s repealing of the 2009 Endangerment Findings Act and the gutting of the Clean Act – this EPA litigation and the federal court’s ruling shows that the EPA’s core mission ‘To protect human health and the environment’ should be the utmost priority of our government.”

Our images in the area can be found in the storymap linked at the beginning of this article or on our Flickr. FracTracker will continue working with residents of the Tri-Cities to document conditions, elevate community voices, and support ongoing efforts toward environmental accountability.