A judge has stopped a Michigan landfill from accepting hazardous waste shipments from five states after local communities raised concerns about environmental risks. The order came from Wayne County Judge Kevin Cox, who said the danger was too great to ignore, even if it meant financial losses for the landfill operator.
The landfill, Wayne Disposal in Van Buren Township near Detroit, had been receiving contaminated soil and other waste from cleanup sites in Ohio, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, and Missouri. These sites are linked to old government projects involving early atomic energy and weapons, some dating back to World War II.
The waste includes soil contaminated from the Manhattan Project, the secret U.S. effort to build atomic bombs during the 1940s. When the court case was active, officials decided to send some of the soil from New York’s Lewiston site to a Texas landfill instead.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees the cleanup sites and their contractors who had been sending waste to Wayne Disposal. Following the injunction, the Corps said shipments have stopped, and they are figuring out what to do next.
Republic Services, the company that runs the landfill, insists their facility follows all safety rules. They called the judge’s order “overly broad” and stressed that managing this kind of hazardous waste is important and the landfill is prepared to do it safely.
Still, many residents and local leaders worry about the landfill’s location. It’s close to homes, schools, and water sources, meaning any leak could put people in danger. Kevin McNamara, the supervisor of Van Buren Township, said the community has stood firm against bringing these materials into the area.
This legal victory reflects growing fears about handling historic radioactive and hazardous waste safely around populated areas. For now, the future of these waste shipments to Wayne Disposal is uncertain as the debate over safety and environmental impact continues.