Dozens of Metro Detroit residents showed up to Wayne County Community College in Van Buren Township, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon to protest the potential expansion of the Wayne Disposal Inc. landfill, as the owners have looked to seek approval to increase their capacity to accept more hazardous waste.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency held an open house where the public could ask questions directly to those involved in surveying the risks in the potential expansion.
“We should be protecting our great lakes, and our residents, and it’s just not the proper place to dispose of this material,” said Tim Craiger from Van Buren Township.
The two organizations also held a presentation, and residents voiced their frustration.
“EGLE, EGLE, you’re supposed to protect us, not them,” said one resident.
“And because we’re near Belleville Lake, we’re near the Huron River, we have 365,000 people within 10 miles of this facility. I worry about this,” said another resident.
The proposed expansion wouldn’t widen the landfill’s footprint, but it would make it taller, adding 225 feet of height. The landfill’s owners say that the waste brought in will be low-activity radioactive waste
EGLE says this is the time for the public to raise any questions or worries they might have before coming to a decision on whether to issue the license to expand the landfill.
“This is the point for their public comment period, right, so the public comment period runs until October 31st, and we want to hear about their concerns,” said Christine Matlock, an Engineer with EGLE.
After public comment ends on Oct. 31, EGLE will review everything, and a decision will be made.
In August, a temporary restraining order