Michigan regulators gave the green light to expand a hazardous waste landfill in Wayne County on January 29, even as residents, local leaders, and state lawmakers voiced strong objections, reported MLive.
What’s happening?
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy renewed the operating license for Wayne Disposal Inc., a Republic Services facility located near Belleville.
The approval includes permission for the landfill to grow by more than 5 million cubic yards through vertical construction, bringing its total permitted capacity to almost 27.9 million cubic yards.
The site handles hazardous waste and polychlorinated biphenyls — or PCBs — along with certain radioactive materials. No other Midwestern landfill has permission to handle PCB-contaminated waste, according to MLive, which also reported that “the license includes new conditions the state says are meant to strengthen oversight and reduce impact on nearby communities.”…