Ed Bagale was honored with an Unsung Hero Award for his efforts to help transform the Rouge River from among the most polluted bodies of water in Michigan to one that is showing promise.
“We went, in the matter of 10 years, from a river that only one or two days a year had enough oxygen to support life … to a river that has 27 species of fish swimming around,” Bagale said.
Bagale’s Rouge River Gateway Partnership convinced a Ford vice president that the company should join the group — a partnership that influenced Ford’s $2-billion renovation of its Rouge plant. It was turned into a model for green and sustainable industrial development.