Detroit Renewable Power calls back prior employees

Detroit Renewable Power LLC (DRP) is calling back 91 workers who had been temporarily laid off as a result of actions of the previous owners of the Detroit energy-from-waste (EFW) facility.

The call back is part of a systematic plan for restarting the facility to insure the highest standards of operation. A total of approximately 130 workers are expected to be called back once the EFW plant resumes full operations.

The EFW plant was closed in October and its workers laid off by the prior owners. The plant was purchased November 16 by DRP parent company, Detroit Renewable Energy LLC (DRE) in a $50 million investment in Detroit that also included Detroit Thermal, LLC, the owner and operator of Detroit’s district energy underground steam system along the Woodward Corridor from the riverfront to New Center-Midtown. The companies operate as independent subsidiaries of DRE.

DRP has already conducted extensive surveys of existing conditions as part of its restart program to improve efficiencies in how the plant operates, according to Maier.

EFW plant enhancements include:

• Improvements to the area that receives waste from collection trucks for more efficient separation and processing of trash, and better prevention of odors escaping from the plant.
• Upgrading and adding new “continuous monitoring systems” to meet or exceed Michigan and Federal environmental standards and permits, including new EPA standards.
• Internal improvements for employee work, break and locker areas as part of a plant-wide program to enhance the employee quality of life, and emphasize working safety as a primary standard.