State environmental regulators sent a notice of violation to a Kalkaska company last Friday.
The DEQ says the company, Team Services, violated its permit for applying brine from oil and gas drilling to keep down road dust in Benzie County.
A sample taken by the Benzie County Road Commission exceeded state standards for toxic chemicals, such as benzene, by as much as a thousand times. The brine was applied in early June on several roads southwest of the village of Lake Ann.
A couple who live and grow an organic garden near one of the roads reported a strong chemical odor and a burning sensation in their noses. One of the brined roads also crosses a creek that feeds into the state’s fish hatchery near Honor.
The letter gives Team Services until the end of August to explain what happened and how to fix it.
Last year, residents in Kalkaska County raised an alarm after Team Services spread fluids used to frack a well on several roads. In that instance, DEQ said it mistakenly OK’d the use of fracking fluid to keep down road dust. It investigated the situation and discontinued the practice after residents complained.