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Statute of limitations — Michigan
Michigan: 3 years for personal injury (MCL 600.5805(2)), 3 years for property damage (MCL 600.5805(2)). Discovery rule applies for latent injuries where the plaintiff could not reasonably have known about the injury or its cause. Michigan's statute of repose for environmental contamination claims may provide extended filing periods in certain circumstances. Government notice requirements may apply to claims involving municipal entities.
3 years from discovery of injury
Filing venue
Where to File in Michigan
Zug Island pollution claims will be filed primarily in Wayne County Circuit Court (Detroit) and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit). Wayne County Circuit Court has jurisdiction over state-law claims including negligence, nuisance, trespass, and strict liability for abnormally dangerous activity. The Eastern District of Michigan handles federal claims and diversity jurisdiction cases. Michigan follows a modified comparative fault system (MCL 600.2959) where a plaintiff's recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault and barred if the plaintiff is more than 50% at fault — though comparative fault is unlikely to be a significant factor in pollution exposure cases where the plaintiff had no control over the facility's emissions.
Michigan does not cap compensatory damages in negligence or environmental tort cases. Punitive damages are generally not available under Michigan law (MCL 600.2960), but exemplary damages may be recoverable in cases involving intentional or willful misconduct, and environmental contamination claims may qualify for enhanced damages under specific statutory provisions. The EPA's $100 million consent decree against EES Coke Battery LLC is a public record and is admissible as evidence in civil proceedings to establish that the facility violated Clean Air Act emission limits. Wayne County juries are generally considered plaintiff-friendly in personal injury and environmental cases, and the environmental justice dimensions of Zug Island pollution claims — involving a wealthy corporate defendant operating in predominantly Black and low-income communities — may be particularly compelling to Wayne County jurors.
Michigan data
Exposure in Michigan
The EPA and DOJ imposed a $100 million civil penalty against EES Coke Battery LLC in February 2026 for Clean Air Act SO2 violations at the Zug Island facility — one of the largest Clean Air Act penalties ever assessed in the United States.
$100M penalty
Source: U.S. EPA / DOJ Consent Decree (February 2026)
The consent decree includes a $20 million community benefit fund for environmental justice investments in River Rouge, Ecorse, and Southwest Detroit — funding air quality monitoring, health screenings, and community health programs for the neighborhoods most affected by the facility's emissions.
$20M community fund
Source: U.S. EPA / DOJ Consent Decree (February 2026)
River Rouge and surrounding Downriver communities rank in the 90th percentile or above nationally on EPA's EJScreen environmental justice indicators, including PM2.5 exposure, respiratory hazard proximity, and low-income population percentage.
90th+ percentile EJ
Source: EPA EJScreen Environmental Justice Mapping Tool
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