A Detroit demolition contractor has been suspended from city work after investigators said it used contaminated dirt to backfill dozens of residential properties.
The city’s Office of Inspector General announced Thursday that Gayanga Co. LLC and its owner, Brian McKinney, are barred from receiving new contracts or performing demolition work while an investigation is underway. The interim suspension, effective immediately, will last up to 90 days or until the inspector general decides whether the company should be formally debarred.
The OIG launched its probe on June 5 after receiving allegations that Gayanga had been hauling soil from the redevelopment of Northland Mall in Southfield to Detroit neighborhoods. The agency ordered testing of dirt at various Gayanga sites across the city. Results showed 33 of 41 properties — or more than 80% — failed to meet state residential standards, according to the OIG…