Radioactive waste from atomic bomb creation headed to Wayne County landfill

Hey folks! Here’s an update on what’s happening in your backyard. According to reports, Wayne County’s landfill is getting ready to handle a huge amount of radioactive material. We’re talking about thousands of tons of waste left over from the atom bomb creation during World War II. Yikes!

It seems that this material is being moved over from a site in Lewiston, New York, where the atom bomb, part of the Manhattan Project, was developed. The plan is to take 6,000 cubic yards of soil and concrete, as well as 4,000 gallons of groundwater that’s got elevated radiation levels, and shift it over to our very own Wayne County.

The Transport Plan

Now, word on the street is that 25 semitrucks loaded with this material are going to be driving on public roads and highways, every week, till January 2025. They’ll be travelling all the way to the disposal facility which is just off Interstate 94 in our Van Buren Township. The people behind this plan are saying that everything will be done according to regulations on how to properly manage such materials. Apparently, safety is their top priority – for their team, for the surrounding communities, and especially for those who’ll be moving the stuff over.

Local Reactions

Here comes the snag though. As you can guess, not everyone in southeast Michigan is thrilled about being the final stop for such hazardous waste. Flashback to February 2023 – remember the outcry when hazardous waste from a train derailment in Ohio was sent to our facilities here? Well, that didn’t go down well with the public or with our lawmakers, and the same concerns are rising again now. The main worry – what if one of those semis overturns, and we end up with a radioactive leak in our environment?

Why is this happening?

For those scratching their heads about how we got here, let’s take a little step back. During and after World War II, factories across the country were brought in to extract uranium from ore to make the metal needed for atomic bombs. The remaining ore, known as residue, was left with elevated radioactivity. A good chunk of this residue was stored at the Lewiston site in New York. Cleanup efforts for these residues started back in 1974, and since then these materials have been shipped to various locations across the country for proper disposal.

Now, the people in charge are certain that the material coming to Wayne County will have radiation levels less than 50 picocuries per gram, which doesn’t really exceed naturally occurring radioactivity in the environment. They’re saying, from a health and safety standpoint, we’ve got nothing to worry about. But as we know, when it comes to radioactive material, it’s always tricky business.

What happens next?

Well, folks, it seems like, for the time being, our landfill will be accepting this radioactive residual. The higher-radiation waste from the Lewiston site will not be shipped here, as it is in violation of the landfill’s operating license. Preparations for excavating and moving the lower-radiation waste will begin later this month, and into September. So, strap in and let’s hope for the best, while keeping an eye on our backyard to make sure everything carries on smoothly and safely.