Glaab makes statement on behalf of CWW regarding Ohio hazardous waste shipments to Michigan

By Scott Bolthouse | The Huron Hub
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com
Posted Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Huron Township Supervisor David Glaab is the chairperson for Conference of Western Wayne (CWW).

This week he released a statement on behalf of the CWW regarding the shipment of hazardous waste from the Ohio train derailment to Republic Services in Romulus and to Van Buren Township.

“The Conference of Western Wayne represents nearly 730,000 residents who depend on us to fight for clean water and air. The safety of Wayne County families is our number one priority and that is why we support Romulus, Van Buren Township and Wayne County in their opposition to being the dumping ground for Ohio’s hazardous material. It is not a Michigan problem, and it must not become one,” Glaab said.

After news of the toxic waste shipment surfaced last week, a temporary pause was put in place.

According to Glaab, the CWW wants it to be much longer than that.

“While there has been a pause on the importation, we are calling on the EPA to publicly commit that there will be a permanent halt and that this hazardous material will never be sent to Wayne County,” Glaab said.

According to a report by the Associated Press, contaminated waste from Ohio began moving again on Monday.

The AP is reporting that some of the remaining liquid waste is going to a facility in Vickery, Ohio, for disposal in an underground injection well. Norfolk Southern is also shipping solid waste to an incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency also announced that two new hazardous waste sites will receive some of the shipments — an incinerator in Grafton, Ohio, and a landfill in Roachdale, Indiana.

The CWW is an organization of 18 Western Wayne County communities that coordinates 9-1-1 services for its 730,000 residents and a 340 square mile region, according to the organization’s website.

CCW meets monthly to discuss issues such as legislation, transportation, public safety, substance abuse prevention, community and economic development, employment and the environmental health of the region.

CWW communities are the Cities of Belleville, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Inkster, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Romulus, Wayne and Westland, and the Townships of Canton, Huron, Northville, Plymouth, Redford, Sumpter and Van Buren.