Wayne County landfill expansion sparks community backlash

Residents from several Michigan cities are opposing the plan to expand the Wayne Disposal landfill in Van Buren Township, which seeks to accept more hazardous waste and expand vertically. Despite community backlash and a recent judicial block on radioactive waste, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is holding a town hall to discuss the proposal, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EGLE seem inclined to approve. Republic Services, the landfill operator, claims their operations are safe and sees the expansion as an opportunity to utilize existing space without enlarging the landfill's footprint.