Upset Voices Rise as Wayne County Chosen for Radioactive Waste
Hey folks, it looks like a big development is heading right into our hometown. Turns out, Wayne County has been chosen as the lucky recipient of soil and rubble radiated from some World War II leftovers. The nitty-gritty is that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have decided to move waste from cleanup efforts at a Manhattan Project site in New York right here to our own turf.
Why here? The people making these decisions claim that Wayne Disposal Inc. in Van Buren Township is up to snuff – the closest place that can handle this type of load. They say, “To ship the material quickly and safely – Wayne County, Michigan was the top choice.”
The good news is the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has green-lit the move, after pouring over lab reviews and the Army Corps’ plan for work. They insist that this development is going by the books – sticking to state environment laws, and shouldn’t freak us out. Guess that’s supposed to make us feel better, right?
Now, let’s think about this: The stuff they’re bringing here? It’s not like it’s nuclear waste or something, but it’s remnants from processing uranium back in WWII days. Apparently, it falls within the limits set by their license, and won’t set off any big red flags. At least, that’s what they’re telling us.
But not everyone is pleased with the plan. Our very own Wayne County Executive, Warren Evans, is pretty miffed about the whole deal. He knows – just as we all do – that this stuff has to go somewhere. But he’s saying “Enough’s enough!” Evans doesn’t want Wayne County to keep becoming the go-to place for things no one else wants to deal with. Bet we can all agree with that sentiment, right?
Of course, this isn’t the first time our county has been drawn into a toxics squabble. You might remember last year, when that train derailed in Ohio and some of its toxic cargo ended up right here. This prompted Evans and others to demand more transparency from officials about bringing hazardous material to our region.
This latest situation has U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell asking some hard questions. Why weren’t locals told about the shipment? And what are the safety and emergency response plans if something goes wrong?
A little history on the material: This waste is coming from the Niagara Falls Storage Site, used way back in 1944 to keep radioactive residues and waste from processing uranium used in developing the atom bomb. A cleanup project is underway there, and off goes the waste to licensed dump sites countrywide. The current phase, they say, has “low-end” radioactivity – enough to cause damage over a long period of time.
So, here’s what we know so far: The first load of waste is set to ship over to us in September. It will be hauled in trucks lined to contain the waste and washed down before they leave their premises in New York. For the most part, the cargo will travel via interstate highways before ending up in our own Van Buren Township.
Let’s keep our eyes open, folks. This is our community, after all.
