VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the resumption of hazardous waste shipments from Ohio to a Michigan landfill, as local communities near Detroit continue their legal battle to block waste from a historical World War II site in New York.
The materials being sent from Luckey, Ohio, are linked to the post-war production of beryllium, a known toxic metal, for military and industrial applications.
Last week, a judge in the Detroit area issued a temporary order halting the landfill’s acceptance of low-level radioactive waste originating from Lewiston, New York.
To clarify the ruling, Wayne County Judge Kevin Cox amended his order on Tuesday, specifically addressing the Lewiston case. Upcoming hearings are set for early October.
Wayne Disposal, located in Van Buren Township, approximately 25 miles west of Detroit, is among the few U.S. landfills authorized to manage specific hazardous waste materials.
A spokesperson for the Army Corps confirmed, “We have resumed safely shipping material” from Ohio to Michigan.
The Michigan landfill operator emphasized compliance with safety regulations concerning hazardous materials management.
Currently, no waste from New York has been sent to Michigan; the contaminated soil in Lewiston is connected to the legacy of the Manhattan Project, the classified government initiative that pioneered atomic bomb development during World War II.
