Van Buren Township Hazardous Waste Facility Authorized to Import Certain Radioactive Waste Amid Community Concerns

Van Buren Township Hazardous Waste Facility Can Import Some Radioactive Waste Again

In a significant turn of events for residents of Van Buren Township, a hazardous waste facility located in their community has received the green light to resume importing certain types of radioactive waste. This decision comes from Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kevin J. Cox, who recently amended an earlier order that had prohibited Wayne Disposal Inc. from accepting any radiological materials.

What Changed?

Originally, on September 18, Judge Cox had placed a halt on the landfill’s ability to take in radioactive materials. However, with his amended order issued on September 24, the court now allows Wayne Disposal to import radiological waste from various cleanup sites across the country. The caveat? Waste originating from the Niagara Falls Storage Site in western New York remains prohibited. This particular site was utilized starting in 1944 to manage radioactive waste produced during uranium processing as part of the efforts related to the Manhattan Project during World War II.

Community Concerns

The decision to allow some waste types to flow back into the facility has ignited a wave of concern among local residents. In September, several communities ranging from civic groups to individual residents banded together to file a lawsuit against the landfill. Their primary argument? The presence of radioactive waste in a residential area is simply unsafe. Many residents feel in the dark about the landfill’s plans, raising alarms about public safety in their community.

One vocal opponent of the waste import decision, Jeneen Rippey, a resident who lives near Belleville Lake, expressed her frustration by saying, “We are very upset. The material from Luckey, Ohio, is equally dangerous and radioactive to that of the material that is supposed to come from Niagara.” Her sentiment reflects the worries of many who live in the township and surrounding areas.

What are the Experts Saying?

On the other side of the equation, representatives from Republic Services, which owns Wayne Disposal, defend their operations. Melissa Quillard, the senior manager of external communications for the company, stated that the landfill has a long history of safely managing radioactive materials. Quillard assured residents that the landfill complies with all regulations designed for hazardous waste management and that this type of waste comes from various industrial activities.

Furthermore, she highlighted that both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy have assessed the material from the Niagara Falls Storage Site, determining it does not pose a public health risk. This assessment is crucial, as some of the materials being imported come from other clean-up efforts across five designated Army Corps sites, including locations in Ohio, Iowa, and New Jersey.

Activity on the Political Front

Local lawmakers are taking the community’s concerns seriously. Several elected officials, including Rep. Reggie Miller and Sen. Darrin Camilleri, plan to introduce legislation aimed at regulating the flow of hazardous waste into Michigan. This could include measures to ban certain types of radioactive material and to raise dumping fees, as well as introducing stricter operational rules for hazardous waste facilities.

What’s Next?

A motion hearing is on the docket at 9 a.m. this Wednesday at Wayne County Circuit Court. The local community will be closely tuned in—hoping their voices will be heard as they navigate these complex and sometimes unsettling issues surrounding hazardous waste management in their township.

As the community watches these developments unfold, one thing is clear: the conversation around public safety, environmental stewardship, and accountability continues. Residents of Van Buren Township are determined to keep these issues at the forefront of local discussions.