Macomb County Men Sentenced for Bear Creek Chemical Spill

Two Macomb County men, Saad Somo and Marvan Talal-Razooqi Batoo, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor environmental charges after a chemical spill from their former metal plating business in Warren turned Bear Creek a bright greenish-blue in February 2024. The spill occurred due to frozen water lines breaking in their unheated facility, causing hazardous chemicals to spill and be flushed into a storm drain leading to the creek. The men cooperated with multiple agencies, including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and reimbursed over $172,000 in remediation costs. As part of a plea deal, felony charges were dropped, and they were sentenced to pay fines, costs, and a special assessment totaling $3,500 each; however, Judge John M. Chmura declined prosecutors' requests for probation or jail time. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido emphasized the seriousness of mishandling hazardous chemicals but acknowledged the defendants' responsibility in cleaning up the contamination and sparing taxpayers cleanup costs. The case highlights a commitment to aggressively prosecuting environmental crimes while considering cooperation in sentencing decisions.