“We stand in solidarity with the residents of Detroit and the 76 communities served by the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant who want clean drinking water. The approval of the ten-fold expansion of U.S. Ecology’s hazardous waste storage capacity, however, is a direct danger to clean water. The U.S. Ecology Georgia Street site in Detroit has committed over 150 violations and has dumped excessive amounts of arsenic, cyanide, mercury and other dangerous chemicals into our sewers. It is imperative that this expansion is stopped and the demands of the community are heard. We must put an end to the constant assault on the health and safety of our families.
“To address the threat of this expansion and over-concentration of hazardous waste in Wayne County, the members of the Detroit Caucus call on EGLE to conduct soil testing and health studies to evaluate the cumulative and potential impact of increased amounts of toxic and radioactive waste being processed, stored and dumped in Michigan. In light of the Flint water crisis, the hexavalent chromium ‘green ooze’ contaminated site in Madison Heights, the closed Commonwealth Street site near Henry Ford Hospital-Detroit and reports of more than 7,000 known sites of contamination of all kinds across Michigan, it is reckless for EGLE to approve this massive expansion without conducting additional studies and listening to the concerns of local residents.
“Approving this expansion sends a dangerous signal to the rest of the nation that Detroit is America’s toxic waste dumping ground. Welcoming more out-of-state dangerous, toxic and radioactive waste in the middle of Detroit is unacceptable and we demand answers. These are exactly the type of deadly materials we need to keep away from our neighborhoods and water system.”