The owners of a landfill in a small town in rural Michigan have decided to start processing several kinds of radioactive waste. While financially beneficial for the landfill, the decision has caused outrage among the local residents.
The landfill’s owners claim that the process is entirely safe; however, residents and experts alike agree that it’s simply impossible for them to make such a promise. Let’s find out what they plan to process and how it will affect Michigan residents for decades to come.
The Wayne Disposal Facility Has Long Processed Hazardous Waste
The Wayne Disposal Facility is located in Van Buren Township, just outside of Detroit, Michigan. It was established in 1970 and has processed various forms of hazardous waste ever since. However, in 2022, US Ecology (USE) purchased the landfill.
Since then, the new owners have decided to take on more dangerous projects, including the disposal of the waste from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, which released toxic chemicals into the air.
Planning an Even More Dangerous Disposal Project
Now, just a few years later, USE announced another far more dangerous project than the trail derailment: the disposal of 80-year-old radioactive waste.
It’s important to understand that while technically, radioactive materials are hazardous, not all hazardous waste is as harmful as radioactive waste. This is undoubtedly the most risky project to date.
The Wayne Disposal Facility Will Now Process Waste From the Manhattan Project
USE recently announced that the Wayne Disposal Facility will now be processing radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.
The Manhattan Project was an unprecedented and top-secret program in the 1940s in which the US government worked tirelessly to create and deploy the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II.
Only Three Atomic Bombs Were Made, But an Immense Amount of Waste Was Created
Throughout the now-infamous Manhattan Project, they were only able to finalize three atomic bombs, only two of which were deployed.
However, the constant building and dismantling of bombs during the trial and error phase of the project led to an incredible amount of dangerous radioactive waste. And 80 years later, that waste still hasn’t been properly disposed of.
Wayne Disposal Facility Has Big Plans for the Radioactive Waste
USE executives explained that they have a detailed and exceptionally safe plan to finally dispose of the unwanted and dangerous waste from the Manhattan Project. They say that large semi-trucks will drop off around 6,000 cubic yards of waste at the landfill every week until January 2025.
The trucks will be thoroughly decontaminated before leaving, and the facility itself is “highly engineered with multiple safety measures in place and frequent inspections and systems tests to ensure everything is operating as it should.”
The Facility Is Following all Legal Instructions for Safe Disposal
In addition to sharing its supposedly well-executed plan, the Wayne Disposal Facility has promised that it will follow all US laws for radioactive disposal to the letter; it has to as it is a federally run organization.
A spokesperson told the press that all radioactive waste arriving at the facility “falls within the permit guidelines and will be managed safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.”
Why Is Disposing of Atomic Waste so Dangerous?
However, even if they follow all the proper regulations, atomic waste, like that produced by the Manhattan Project, still contains extensive amounts of radioactive particles, making it extremely dangerous.
These radioactive particles can and often do seep into the soil, water, and the air, even if they are correctly disposed of. And radioactive waste has been proven to cause extreme health problems, including anemia, leukemia, hemorrhages, and cardiovascular diseases.
Why Does It Have to Be Disposed Here?
With this information in mind and the fact that the waste is being transported from its current home in upstate New York, many local residents in the Van Buren Township are asking: Why must the disposal happen here?
Bonnie Coughlin, who has lived in the area for 70 years, told the press, “I don’t like it. [There’s no] guarantee something is not going to harm us. Why don’t they drive it somewhere else?”
Local Residents Are Scared
Coughlin also said, “I got my kids living next door, grandkids, and our neighbors. It’s always been scary with that dump there.”
While another local resident, Anthony Pauldebias, explained his concerns. “I’m just worried about my health, the health of others, and the value of our houses. I have to shut my windows at night; it’s so terrible, you can smell the smell.”
The Concerns of Local Residents Are Certainly Valid
Truthfully, their concerns are undeniably valid. Extensive research has shown that even the safest disposal of radioactive waste, like that produced during the Manhattan Project, can be extremely harmful.
Remnants of the radioactive waste can seep into the soil and water below the disposal facility, polluting the food and water of local residents for generations to come.
Fighting to Keep Their Home Safe
While the radioactive waste disposal has already begun at the Wayne Disposal Facility, local residents are still hoping they can get the project shut down before their soil and water are completely polluted.
Residents say they’re not leaving their homes; they deserve to live in their long-time community and feel safe doing so. However, USE doesn’t seem likely to abandon its plan soon.
