WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Toxic waste deemed too dangerous for landfills in Ohio is set to be transported to a landfill in Wayne County, officials confirmed.
An unlucky neighborhood in Van Buren Township has become the neighbor for that waste.
The toxic waste will be trucked 65 miles from Luckey, Ohio, to the facility near I-94 and Beck Road.
"If you've got crap in Ohio, keep your crap in Ohio," said Donna Collins, of Belleville. "If you've got crap in Canada, keep your crap in Canada. Don't bring it to us."
The Ohio EPA said soil from a Cold War atomic energy site outside Toledo is contaminated with "naturally occurring radioactive" beryllium.
The U.S. Army Core of Engineers is spending $600 million to clean up the Ohio site.
The U.S. Ecology Belleville landfill in Van Buren Township is the only regional facility approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to accept contaminated waste.
When he learned of the waste, Wayne County Commissioner Ray Basham said, "You've got to be kidding."
"Why do we have to be the dumping ground for this country?" Basham asked. "Why does this region, in particular downriver, western Wayne, Wayne County, have to be the dumping ground for other states, other countries?"
"It doesn't seem like anyone cares," Collins said.
"The waste contains very low concentrations of radioactivity that are barely above background levels, and accordingly, the waste is not regulated by the NRC," said Dave Crumrine, of U.S. Ecology.
"It is critical that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers take every action to protect human health and the environment," Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said. "We are seeking additional information from the USACE and will do everything we can to ensure public health is protected."