Close Encounters

©tom stoye

This is Anenia. She lives in the Oakwood Heights neighborhood of southwest Detroit. Oakwood Heights has the notorious distinction of being the most polluted zip code in the state of Michigan. Anenia has continuously lived in the same house since 1918, the year of her birth. Her house rests in the shadow of the Marathon Oil Refinery; the largest refinery in Michigan. The plant is a limitless source of excessive air pollution filled with airborne carcinogens that emit unbearable odors into neighboring communities in southwest Detroit. 

 A few years ago Marathon announced a 2.2 billion dollar expansion that prepares it for the increased production of tar sands crude oil, considered to be the dirtiest oil in the world.  Massive piles of tar sands (petroleum coke) are now being stored on property located within spitting distance of the banks of the Detroit River. The land is owned by Detroit billionaire businessman Matty Maroun. With spring rains amping up, rains will cause excessive run-off into the river itself, which have the potential to be an environmental disaster.  Local residents of the Oakwood Heights neighborhood stand to lose the most in this dying neighborhood, beaten down from a falling economy and declining home values due to their proximity to the refinery.

As part of their expansion, Marathon Oil has been actively offering homeowners generous buyouts, and then leveling homes once they are vacated. For some, especially younger dual income families, this offers the chance to relocate and start fresh. But for many elderly residents struggling to get by on social security benefits, and with limited discretionary income, it's nearly impossible to qualify for bank loans even with the settlements.  Longtime residents like Anenia, are left with few options but to take what's offered, as they watch their neighborhood being systematically leveled for the future development of the neighboring refinery. Luckily for Anenia, she has a network of friends and family that are helping make the transition as smooth as possible.

In a couple of weeks, Anenia's family will be moving her to an assisted-living community in Monroe, Michigan. It will be the first and only time she has moved  in her lifetime. At 95 years old, half-blind from glaucoma, and embarking on a drastic change in lifestyle, Anenia is surprisingly upbeat and resilient with what lies ahead.