$100M lawsuit filed over contaminated dirt in Detroit

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]The owner of a demolition company contracted by the city of Detroit to carry out hundreds of vacant house demos over the past 10 years is filing a million-dollar lawsuit. Fox 2's Dave Spencer is live in Detroit with more on the reasons for this suit and the allegations against this company. Hey Dave.

[00:00:19]Hey Jessica, it comes down to who is ultimately responsible for using contaminated dirt like the pile you see behind me here at the former Northland Mall site and taking that dirt and using it to backfill demoed properties throughout the city of Detroit.

[00:00:35]Did not do anything wrong then. He hasn't done anything wrong now and that's why we have a hundred million-dollar lawsuit.

[00:00:42]They changed the rules on him. That's attorney Todd Perkins. He represents Brian McKinney Sr., the owner of Gayanga Demolition Company, a company that contracted with the city of Detroit back in 2016 to demo and backfill blighted homes. McKinney says his company carried out 2,500 demos since then. At the center of the issue are claims by Detroit's Office of Inspector General that Gayanga used polluted dirt at dozens and possibly hundreds of demo sites. Environmental testing found arsenic, lead, chromium, and cancer-linked chemicals at many properties. The company denies any wrongdoing and argues that the dirt came from city-approved sources and the city of Detroit is simply looking at McKinney to be the fall guy here. McKinney says the reason he's suing for a hundred million dollars is because the accusations have caused clients and customers to walk away and he closed his demo business earlier this month.

[00:01:39]Who provided public sources, we didn't question the public source. You just like there's an email from the city, they're saying you can use them.

[00:01:47]Um, for us it was like a blanket of security. I got to drive a lot farther, you got to pay a lot more, but you're paying this assuming that this thing will be fine.

[00:01:58]Now, I reached out to the city of Detroit. They say they do not comment on pending litigations. Coming up at 11:00, we talked to McKinney a little bit about his future plans now that he does not have a demo business. What is he going to do next? You'll hear that story on the edge of 11:00. For now, live in Southfield, Dave Spencer, Fox 2 News.

[00:02:15]And Dave, it seems like the controversy surrounding these demos in Detroit goes on for decades. You're situated there at the site of the Northland Mall. How does the dirt behind you play into all of this?

[00:02:26]Yeah, that depends on who you ask. Now, if you ask the city's Detroit of Detroit's office of Inspector General, they they will say that this particular dirt was used by the man in question here, McKinney. McKinney denies it. He says when they asked the owner of the Northland Mall, he said that they have never had any business with them.

[00:02:46]So, that that is a point of contention.

[00:02:47]That's also laid out in this lawsuit.

[00:02:49]So, we'll have to see where all of this leads.

[00:02:52]All right, Dave. We will see you on the edge of 11:00. Thank you.