It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Upton House Museum in Sterling Heights, MI gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Sterling Heights, MI is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Tom and staff are incredible on working with families if you’re having issue with your mom or dad or any senior give Tom a call he can help”
“Best place I’ve ever worked. Not only do they take care of their clients, their employees too!! Blessed everyday to work for this company”
“I’d like to thank always best care for all their support. As this was my first experience with any senior care agency, I was a bit apprehensive but they were great right from the start. All the caregivers were very attentive and assisted my parents with proper care at home. Undoubtedly a great caregiving agency..”
“I am a past client of this provider We used Always Best Care of Macomb County for my friend and they were wonderful. We chose them because they had a little edge on the caregiving model that they use and they negotiated the price with us. The caregivers were professional and prompt. They provided my friend with companionship, helped with feeding, and they were available at night for nighttime issues that arose. They were also there to pass meds to her, to facilitate her taking her anti-anxiety pills, and to reassure her. They were always prompt in returning my phone calls and they kept a notebook so we could communicate. They solicited feedback too.”
“We used Always Best Care of Macomb County for my friend and they were wonderful. We chose them because they had a little edge on the caregiving model that they use and they negotiated the price with us. The caregivers were professional and prompt. They provided my friend with companionship, helped with feeding, and they were available at night for nighttime issues that arose. They were also there to pass meds to her, to facilitate her taking her anti-anxiety pills, and to reassure her. They were always prompt in returning my phone calls and they kept a notebook so we could communicate. They solicited feedback too.”
“Good review Good review Good review Good review Good review Good review”
“They have always gone the extra mile for me on every call!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Dodge Park in Sterling Heights, MI with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Mangiabevi Urban Italian or visit James C Nelson Park, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Sterling Heights, MI, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Sterling Heights, MI understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Sterling Heights, MI 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Federal regulators cite safety concerns tied to aging pipelineWhat to know: STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a sweeping corrective action order to pipeline giant Energy Transfer after crude oil leaked from an aging pipeline in Sterling Heights — an incident that federal investigators say may be part of a larger, system-wide safety problem.The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued the order Sept. 21, directing Energy Tran...
What to know:
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a sweeping corrective action order to pipeline giant Energy Transfer after crude oil leaked from an aging pipeline in Sterling Heights — an incident that federal investigators say may be part of a larger, system-wide safety problem.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued the order Sept. 21, directing Energy Transfer to shut down the affected pipeline segment, reduce operating pressure across a 130-mile stretch, and complete a series of inspections and repairs before the line can return to full service.
The leak was uncovered Sept. 18 when crude oil surfaced in the parking lot of a gas station in the area of 18 Mile and Mound Road.
City officials quickly worked to contain the leak and prevent it from entering city and county storm drains.
According to the federal order, Energy Transfer estimated a spill volume of approximately 15 barrels — roughly 630 gallons. The company then isolated a 16-mile segment of the pipeline.
On Sept. 19, after excavating several locations along the pipeline, Energy Transfer confirmed the leak originated from a failed repair sleeve — a steel device used to fix damaged sections of pipe — that had been installed in 2010.
The City of Sterling Heights said its departments moved quickly to protect residents.
“Thanks to the immediate, coordinated response of the City’s Department of Public Works and Fire Department, there were no identified impacts to residents. Their rapid actions helped secure the area, support containment efforts and reduce the potential for impacts to the surrounding community,” the city said in a statement.
Energy Transfer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Local 4 Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The pipeline at the center of this incident is the Marysville-Toledo Crude Pipeline, or MTC Pipeline, which runs approximately 130 miles from Marysville, Michigan, to Toledo, Ohio.
The pipeline was built in 1967 using a manufacturing method — low-frequency electric resistance welding — that federal regulators have long identified as susceptible to integrity failures.
More than 109 miles of the pipeline passes through what regulators call “high consequence areas” — densely populated neighborhoods and environmentally sensitive locations where a spill would cause the greatest harm.
Energy Transfer owns or operates approximately 140,000 miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines across 44 states.
According to federal regulators, Energy Transfer could not locate the original repair records for the sleeve that failed in Sterling Heights, and could not verify the integrity of 11 other repair sleeves installed on the same pipeline.
The federal order claims this is not the first time this issue has surfaced. In January 2025, it says a similar failure occurred on Energy Transfer’s Twin Oaks Pipeline in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, where a sleeve failure contaminated surrounding soil and several drinking water wells.
In that case, too, it says Energy Transfer could not locate original repair records.
After the Pennsylvania failure, federal regulators sent Energy Transfer formal requests for records related to repair sleeves across its entire pipeline network.
According to the order, Energy Transfer’s responses revealed it cannot locate original repair records for hundreds of sleeves installed on its pipelines in multiple states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Texas.
Federal regulators said that missing documentation makes it impossible to verify whether past repairs were done correctly — or whether the pipelines are safe today.
The order stated that Energy Transfer’s leak detection system failed to detect either the Sterling Heights failure or the Pennsylvania failure — raising the possibility that a similar failure elsewhere in the network could also go unnoticed.
The corrective action order lays out a long list of requirements Energy Transfer must meet before the pipeline can return to full service.
The isolated 16-mile segment must remain shut down until federal regulators approve a restart plan, and operating pressure across the entire 130-mile pipeline must be reduced by 20% until the company can demonstrate it is safe to restore.
Energy Transfer must also hire independent third parties to conduct mechanical testing of the failed pipe and a full root cause analysis to determine exactly why the sleeve failed.
The company must also submit a complete inventory of every steel repair sleeve installed across its entire pipeline network and develop a plan to evaluate — and where necessary, remove — any sleeve whose integrity cannot be verified.
The City of Sterling Heights said it supports the federal government’s intervention and expects Energy Transfer to be held accountable.
“Energy Transfer representatives acted swiftly to coordinate follow-up action, including shutting the line down to conduct an assessment. City officials support additional corrective action plans initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure the 130-mile line is structurally sound to avoid the potential for future leaks,” the city said.
The city also emphasized that protecting residents remains its top priority.
“The City of Sterling Heights takes the recent crude oil leak extremely seriously. Protecting the health, safety, and quality of life of our residents while safeguarding local waterways, infrastructure, and natural resources remains a high priority,” the statement read.
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Israel-based defense technology company Capture Group Inc. plans to establish operations in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The $5 million project is expected to create 125 jobs in Macomb County.The company’s new production and operations facility will feature manufacturing lines for Counter-UAS platforms, optical surveillance systems, and mobile defense systems.“We are honored to partner with the State of Michigan as we establish Capture Systems' U.S. manufacturing and engineering hub,” said Capture Systems Grou...
Israel-based defense technology company Capture Group Inc. plans to establish operations in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The $5 million project is expected to create 125 jobs in Macomb County.
The company’s new production and operations facility will feature manufacturing lines for Counter-UAS platforms, optical surveillance systems, and mobile defense systems.
“We are honored to partner with the State of Michigan as we establish Capture Systems' U.S. manufacturing and engineering hub,” said Capture Systems Group Chief Operating Officer Avi Braun. “This investment represents a major milestone in our global expansion strategy and reflects our long-term commitment to creating high-value jobs, investing in advanced manufacturing, and strengthening America's defense industrial base. Michigan offers an exceptional combination of engineering talent, manufacturing excellence, and a business-friendly environment, making it the ideal location for our next phase of growth. We look forward to becoming a long-term member of Michigan's defense and aerospace ecosystem while delivering innovative technologies that help protect critical infrastructure, law enforcement, and military personnel.”
To support the project, the Michigan Strategic Fund awarded the company a $936,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.
“Michigan’s continued momentum in the defense industry is a testament to the strength of our state’s talent, innovation, and manufacturing capabilities,” noted Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Senior Vice President of Regional Development Matt McCauley.
Capture Group Inc. is the U.S. entity of Israel-based Capture Systems Ltd., a defense technology company that develops systems for defense and homeland security applications. The company specializes in the development, integration, testing, and manufacturing of counter-UAS platforms, optical surveillance systems, mobile defense systems, and remote-controlled weapon stations.
“Sterling Heights has built a strong reputation as one of Michigan’s most welcoming and business-friendly cities, and we are proud to welcome Capture Systems into our community,” added Sterling Heights Senior Economic Development Advisor Luke Bonner. “Their cutting-edge technology and role in the defense industry make them an ideal fit for our city’s strong defense ecosystem and multi-billion-dollar defense corridor. This investment reflects exactly what we strive for in Sterling Heights - supporting business innovation, encouraging private investment and working collaboratively with our county and state partners to help forward-thinking companies grow and succeed here.”
Source: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency / Wikimedia CommonsA crude oil spill at a commercial intersection in Sterling Heights has triggered a nationwide federal investigation into the safety of Energy Transfer's pipeline network, after regulators found the leak occurred at a repair sleeve the company could not produce records for. The spill, which seeped into a storm sewer near Mound Road and 18 Mile Road, prompted the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to order Energy Transfer to s...
Source: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency / Wikimedia Commons
A crude oil spill at a commercial intersection in Sterling Heights has triggered a nationwide federal investigation into the safety of Energy Transfer's pipeline network, after regulators found the leak occurred at a repair sleeve the company could not produce records for. The spill, which seeped into a storm sewer near Mound Road and 18 Mile Road, prompted the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to order Energy Transfer to shut down a 16-mile segment of pipeline and begin a sweeping review of repairs across its entire hazardous liquids system.
Accounts of the spill's size differ. According to Inside Climate News, the release totaled 600 gallons of crude oil, while C&G News reported a local estimate of around 100 gallons surfacing near the intersection. The pipeline involved is a 16-inch crude oil line running through the city, part of what Inside Climate News describes as a 59-year-old, 130-mile pipeline connecting Marysville, Michigan, to Toledo, Ohio, built in 1967. A member of the public spotted oil seeping into a storm drain and alerted the local fire department, which in turn notified Energy Transfer and the National Response Center.
City officials said at the time that the leak posed no danger to nearby residents and homes, and response crews worked to keep oil out of city and county storm drains, per the same account. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy mobilized to the site and worked alongside the company and first responders on containment and cleanup. Crews later used a vactor truck to remove standing oil from the road and catch basins, and impacted soils were excavated and hauled to a landfill for disposal.
PHMSA's investigation traced the failure to a steel encasement sleeve welded onto the pipeline in 2010 to repair a defect, and the agency said the spill evaded Energy Transfer's leak detection systems before a passerby noticed the oil. The federal order, signed by PHMSA official Paul Roberti on September 21, 2026, came three days after the spill was discovered and was issued without prior notice or a hearing opportunity because of the risk of serious harm, the report states. PHMSA directed Energy Transfer to shut down the 16-mile segment at the spill site; the line restarted the next day at reduced pressure.
What alarmed regulators most, according to the report, was that Energy Transfer could not locate the original records for the Sterling Heights sleeve, nor could it verify the integrity of 11 other sleeves along the same Marysville-to-Toledo pipeline. The company also told PHMSA it was unable to find records for four of the 45 repair sleeves along its separate Twin Oaks pipeline in Pennsylvania. PHMSA identified failures beneath at least two repair sleeves total, each showing indications of improper installation.
PHMSA's order now requires Energy Transfer to submit, within 90 days, a nationwide inventory of past repairs and a plan to remediate vulnerabilities across its roughly 20,000 miles of crude oil, refined product, and natural gas liquids pipelines, a figure the company cites on its own website per Inside Climate News. Within six months, the company must also deliver a plan to evaluate the integrity of every steel encirclement sleeve on the network and remediate any weaknesses found, with removal required for any sleeve whose integrity cannot be reasonably assured. The order applies broadly to any hazardous liquid pipeline facility owned or operated by Energy Transfer, its subsidiaries, and related entities. Energy Transfer has requested a hearing on the order, but none had been scheduled as of the report.
The Sterling Heights failure is not an isolated case in Energy Transfer's portfolio. A similar encasement sleeve failure caused a jet fuel leak last year on the company's Twin Oaks pipeline in Pennsylvania, contaminating the drinking water source of a residential neighborhood north of Philadelphia. That Pennsylvania line had leaked for at least 16 months before it was discovered, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, while residents reported a gasoline smell and taste in their water. Six wells tested above drinking-water standards for petroleum products, and five more showed detectable contaminants below statewide health standards, per the Inquirer's reporting. Sunoco reported to PHMSA that 156 barrels of jet fuel had leaked through a slow drip in the pipe before it was repaired with a sleeve.
Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection ordered Energy Transfer to supply bottled water to affected residents and to install and monitor well filters, the Inquirer reported, and the state Attorney General's environmental crimes section opened an investigation into the spill. Separately, Bucks County Herald reported that Sunoco Pipeline LP won approval to drill recovery wells in Upper Makefield Township streets over the next decade to pull leaked jet fuel from the ground. Energy Transfer inherited both the Michigan and Pennsylvania pipelines in 2012, when it acquired Philadelphia-based Sunoco. The Inquirer also reported that Energy Transfer has been fined more than $48.1 million by Pennsylvania for violations tied to its Mariner East and Revolution pipelines.
Type-A sleeves, the kind involved in some of these failures, remain a legal repair method, but PHMSA issued a nationwide advisory earlier this year warning that improperly installed or managed sleeves carry a heightened risk of corrosion and other integrity problems over time, the agency said in its bulletin. The advisory stopped short of restricting their use outright. The Sterling Heights order marks the only one of 23 corrective-action orders PHMSA has issued this year that addresses safety issues across an entire company's pipeline network, according to Inside Climate News, underscoring how unusual the agency considered this case.
Steel encirclement sleeves can also complicate the very inspections meant to catch problems like these, since magnetic flux leakage tools used in pipeline inspections are generally unable to assess defects hidden beneath the sleeves themselves. That blind spot is part of why missing installation records for aging repairs have drawn heightened attention from investigators working to understand how failures go undetected for years.
Evan Sery is your community reporter for Utica, Shelby Twp., Sterling Heights, Macomb Twp., Clinton Twp., Chesterfield Twp., Harrison Twp., and Mount Clemens. Connect with him at [email protected] HEIGHTS (WXYZ) — A new $70 million facility designed to serve students with special needs is opening in Sterling Heights, marking a major milestone for the Macomb Intermediate School District.The Donald Bollinger Education Center will welcome its first students after Labor Day. The 140,000-square-foot building will ser...
Evan Sery is your community reporter for Utica, Shelby Twp., Sterling Heights, Macomb Twp., Clinton Twp., Chesterfield Twp., Harrison Twp., and Mount Clemens. Connect with him at [email protected].
STERLING HEIGHTS (WXYZ) — A new $70 million facility designed to serve students with special needs is opening in Sterling Heights, marking a major milestone for the Macomb Intermediate School District.
The Donald Bollinger Education Center will welcome its first students after Labor Day. The 140,000-square-foot building will serve around 250 students ranging from infants through age 26.
WXYZ reporter Evan Sery has the story in the video below:
For Ashley Levell, the moment carries deep personal meaning. Her son, A.J., was born without a heartbeat and has brain damage and global developmental delay. He is nonverbal and was enrolled in the Macomb Intermediate School District at age 3. Now 15, he will be among the first students to attend the new facility.
"He's nonverbal and they have given him the best quality of life that anyone could give him," Levell said.
Levell said the emotion of the moment hit her before I arrived to speak with her.
"Ten minutes before you walked in here I was crying, I was like, 'wow!'" Levell said.
She believes the new building will hold the same significance for A.J. and his classmates that the district has always held for their families.
"The new building will become his second home and for a lot of the other kids because they spend so much time here," Levell said. "This is their home away from home, this is a family."
The facility was funded through a 2022 school district bond proposal. Superintendent Mike Devault said the investment is designed to serve the community for generations.
"There's a pool, there's a greenhouse, all kinds of therapy rooms, special accommodations for kids to learn life skills," Devault said.
"When you do this kind of a project, you're making decisions for decades, it's like a 50-year investment," Devault said.
The center is named after Donald Bollinger, a longtime district employee who began working with the Macomb Intermediate School District in 1975. Now serving as deputy superintendent, Bollinger — affectionately known as Bolly — said his path into special education began long before his career in Michigan.
"Originally from Minnesota and worked at a camp there with special needs students and it kinda peaked my interest and developed from there," Bollinger said.
A dedication ceremony honoring Bollinger's legacy is scheduled for this Sunday. He said the recognition came as a surprise.
"That's part of why I was so surprised, I thought it would be named after someone who already passed on," Bollinger said.
Despite the honor, Bollinger said the credit belongs to those around him.
"I prefer to give credit to everybody else, they do all the hard working, I'm just trying to support them, that's what my job is," Bollinger said.
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