VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A town hall was held Wednesday to answer questions about the radioactive waste headed for a Wayne County landfill.
The waste includes tons of contaminated soil and groundwater from a site in New York where the atomic bomb was developed back during World War II.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell co-hosted the town hall, which drew hundreds of concerned residents.
Dingell and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib have been vocal about wanting to pass a law, similar to one in New York, that would prevent Michigan from accepting this kind of toxic waste in the future.
“You have to take it if the sites are legal, so that means we need state law to regulate it,” Dingell said. “And that means we need bipartisan support.”
Dozens of residents spoke at the town hall, criticizing the officials behind the project.
The officials in attendance at the town hall included representatives from EGLE, the EPA, The US Army Corps of Engineers, and representatives from Republic Services.
“I live right next to this dump, and if something goes wrong, I’m going to need to know where these sensors are,” one concerned resident said during the question portion of the town hall.
The transport of the hazardous waste is expected to begin in January.