Radioactive waste from the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II heading to Michigan

By Andres Gutierrez

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    VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — Radioactive waste from the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II is coming to Wayne County.

In September, thousands of tons of the toxic material will be hauled to the Republic Services facility in Van Buren Township.

The radioactive waste is coming from Niagara Falls, one of the sites of the Manhattan Project.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers held several public meetings in Western New York to discuss the clean-up process and transport of the radioactive material to the landfill on I-94 and Belleville Road.

The only thing is that no one who lives near the landfill knew it was coming.

“Mostly soil, potentially some concrete that was in within the site,” said Brent LaSpada, planning management team planner at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. “We’re looking at about 6,000 cubic yards, estimated.”

According to LaSpada, the toxic waste will be transported in dump trucks specifically outfitted to carry the loads and marked with placards indicating the levels of radioactive material.

“They’re essentially a qualified disposal facility. This material is kind of like their bread and butter that they would take,” LaSpada said.

A representative from Republic Services, who operates the landfill, provided this statement to CBS News Detroit:

“Environmental remediation projects require facilities that are equipped to manage the material responsibly. Waste streams, like the material from the Niagara Falls Storage Site, must go to the right location to ensure they are safely and compliantly managed.

Wayne Disposal is a Subtitle C landfill that is highly engineered with multiple safety measures in place and frequent inspections and systems tests to ensure everything is operating as it should. The material that will be accepted from the Niagara Falls Storage Site falls within the permit guidelines and will be managed safely, responsibly and in compliance with all local, state and federal regulations. The Department of Transportation regulates the transport of materials from the time it is loaded until it is delivered to our facility, and transporters receive extensive training.”

Last year, the EPA stopped plans to transport toxic waste from the East Palestine train derailment to the facility following public outcry, including from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.

On Monday, Evans released a lengthy statement expressing how he strongly opposed the transport and disposal of these hazardous materials and wrote in part: “Sadly, our residents have grown accustomed to the polluted air, earth, and water that have resulted from being a dumping ground for the hazardous waste of others. It is, in part, because of this environmental injustice our residents suffer higher rates of asthma, lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and other downstream consequences.”

EGLE, the Michigan regulatory agency that handles these matters, issued the following statement:

“EGLE is committed to protecting the public health and environment from radioactive materials.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project with Wayne Disposal complies with state environmental statutes and does not present a significant risk to the public health or the environment.

The materials destined for Wayne Disposal are soils and rubble that contain residual radioactivity from uranium processing during World War Two.

The waste destined for Wayne Disposal is exempt from federal radioactive material disposal requirements and has concentrations well below those allowed in their license.”

Late Monday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell said she is getting involved now, demanding answers from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers over their decision.

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