Ford Sending $500 to Evacuated Michigan Households

Ford Motor Co. will send $500 checks to every household that was evacuated from a southeastern Michigan city because of a gasoline leak from the automaker’s plant into the community’s sewer system, representatives said.

The checks would total $600,000 for 1,200 displaced households, The Detroit News reported.

The leak from the Ford assembly plant in Flat Rock was first detected on Aug. 30 and appeared to have started no earlier than Aug. 26, Bob Holycross, Ford’s vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, said at a news conference.

Ford believes the 1,400 gallons of gasoline leaked during that time, he said.

The automaker on Sept. 13 extended the Mustang assembly plant’s closure through Sept. 20. Mayor Mark Hammond said residents may remain out of their homes for weeks yet while testing of the city’s sewer system and indoor air quality continues.