Hazardous waste landfill in Wayne County gets OK to expand by 5M cubic yards
Hazardous waste landfill in Wayne County gets OK to expand by 5M cubic yards
A western Wayne County landfill that stores and disposes of hazardous waste and toxic chemicals has been given the go-ahead to expand by 5 million cubic yards.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has renewed the operating license for Wayne Disposal Inc., located off Interstate 94 in Van Buren Township, near Willow Run Airport and the city of Belleville, the agency announced Thursday.
EGLE officials have characterized the expansion as “vertical.” Under the previous licensing, the landfill was able to pile waste up to 150 feet above grade; it may now increase that height to 225 feet.
A spokesperson for the agency said the renewal includes “stronger protections for the community and environment.”
“It adds new requirements for stormwater controls, expanded environmental monitoring, and stricter reporting during construction and extreme weather events,” said EGLE Public Information Officer Josef Stephens in an email. “The license also upgrades air monitoring to better detect any off-site impacts and ensures the landfill operates within strict safety standards. These improvements strengthen oversight and reinforce EGLE’s commitment to protecting public health and the environment.”
State Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, said in a Facebook post that she was “extremely disappointed in EGLE’s decision to brush past the public concerns and critical advocacy of residents who have made it abundantly clear: the people of Wayne County do not want this expansion.”
During a public hearing in September, residents said the site emits unpleasant odors and expressed concern about increased risk of cancer.
Miller said the expansion will affect the health and safety of some 350,000 people who live within a 10-mile radius of the site. She vowed to push for legislation that will “responsibly regulate radioactive waste in Michigan and fight against future corporate threats to public health.”
The facility is owned by waste management giant Republic Services.
“Wayne Disposal, Inc. (WDI) has received its license renewal and is committed to taking all necessary steps to comply with the updated requirements,” said Republic Services spokesperson Melissa Quillard in an email to The Detroit News. “The landfill’s expanded capacity will help ensure the facility can continue to provide safe, compliant environmental services throughout Michigan and the surrounding region.”
Wayne Disposal is one of few landfills in the U.S. licensed to handle certain hazardous waste materials and is one of only 10 landfills approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to accept PCBs.
PCBs are man-made organic chemicals that have been banned from being manufactured in the U.S. since 1979. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the chemicals have been linked to “a variety of adverse health effects” and “have been shown to cause cancer in animals.”
Wayne Disposal also accepts radiological material, defined by the EPA as “naturally occurring radioactive materials that have been concentrated or exposed to the accessible environment as a result of human activities such as manufacturing, mineral extraction, or water processing.”
In August, following massive community outcry, a Wayne County judge issued an injunction barring the facility from accepting technologically enhanced naturally occurring radiological material, or “TENORM,” from a Manhattan Project cleanup site.
“I’m disappointed in EGLE’s decision to renew Waste Disposal Inc.’s license,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans said in a statement. “However, the court order preventing Manhattan Project radioactive waste from being brought into Wayne County remains in effect. We will continue pursuing litigation to keep toxic waste out of Wayne County.”
The facility was first established in 1970, before state and federal hazardous waste regulations were created, according to EGLE. It mostly accepts materials from environmental cleanup or remediation sites, including soil that may have flammable, corrosive or toxic components, according to EGLE.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com