State lawmaker mobilizes and fights alongside community members to defend Van Buren Twp. from hazardous waste
BELLEVILLE, Mich., Aug. 18, 2025 — State Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Twp.) held a press conference today to call on the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to listen to community members and discontinue the permitting process to expand the Wayne Disposal hazardous waste landfill. Miller mobilized community members to submit comments and attend the Sept. 18 public hearing on the decision and demanded that EGLE expand the public comment period, which currently ends on Sept. 29. Miller was joined by state Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-6), Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed at the press conference.
“From the moment residents of our community were notified a year ago that radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project would be shipped to Wayne Disposal to be stored, together we have been organizing and speaking out — our community does not want hazardous waste materials near our homes and waterways,” Miller said. “We need government and corporate accountability to the public now. My and Sen. Camilleri’s legislation will need to be negotiated between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Speaker Matt Hall in a bipartisan manner that puts people over corporate profits. This community is tight, and we have been fighting this battle from day one, but we still have the war to win. I know that if we continue to come together, we can do it. I will never stop fighting alongside community members to keep radioactive waste out of Michigan.”
In support of the residents of Van Buren Twp., Belleville, Canton and Romulus who have been collectively advocating against radioactive waste dumping in their community for months, Miller and Camilleri have both introduced legislation to raise Michigan’s waste tipping fees and make it harder for hazardous waste from other states to be dumped in Michigan.
“I was proud to stand with Rep. Miller and many of our leaders across all levels of government to oppose this expansion and do what’s right for our Western Wayne communities,” Camilleri said. “We can no longer stand by and let the unregulated flow of toxic waste happen in our backyards, which is why it is critical that we pass hazardous waste reform. I’m urging Speaker Hall that when this legislation reaches the House of Representatives we put politics aside and do right by the 1.8 million Wayne County residents that live near this landfill.”
“The danger that radioactive waste and other forms of environmental pollution pose to the health of our community is one that not only can’t be ignored but must be confronted directly and forcefully,” Evans said. “That is why I was encouraged today to see all these elected and community leaders coming together in a show of unity to emphasize our determination that we will no longer tolerate being a dumping ground for these hazardous materials. Our people deserve better, and better is what they’re going to get.”
Recently, the community reaped the fruits of their collective labor and advocacy when a Third Circuit Court ruling blocked shipments of FUSRAP radioactive waste to Wayne Disposal. However, EGLE’s continued efforts to permit and expand radioactive waste storage at the landfill means communities and local leaders will need to continue to defend Van Buren Twp. from the flood of hazardous waste.
“It’s critical for the public to be engaged and involved in decisions that impact their communities. The current waste tipping fee for the State of Michigan is 36 cents a ton — the lowest in the region and one of the lowest in the country. It has turned our state into a dumping ground,” Dingell said. “We must consider proposals to raise the tipping fee and show the country we are not a receptacle for everyone else’s trash. As with all issues relating to waste in our community, public safety and information is my foremost priority, and I will continue to work with all stakeholders to keep everyone informed.”
“When Michiganders come together to speak with one voice, they create real change — the people of the greater Western Wayne County communities are evidence of that,” Puri said. “I’m proud to stand with the elected officials at every level who are fighting to ensure the public health and safety of Southeastern Michigan’s communities.”
###