To: Detroit/Seattle
Workers' Voice mailing list
February 03, 2020
Re: State grants permit to concentrate toxic waste processing in Detroit
by Joseph Green, Detroit Workers' Voice
At a meeting four months ago at one of their toxic waste plants in Detroit, the corporation misleadingly called "US Ecology" said it would not be bringing in poisonous PFAS chemicals to Detroit. It was a lie. A major project is now underway to truck stockpiles of PFAS from all over Michigan to "US Ecology's" Georgia St facility in Detroit. And it's with the approval of the Michigan state government.
Moreover, the state government has further disregarded the health of people of Detroit, and given "US Ecology" a permit to dramatically expand the total amount of toxic waste brought into Detroit. This means that toxic waste processing will be concentrated in the midst of the neighborhoods of the largest city in Michigan. One of the sick excuses for this is that Detroit already has dangerous levels of pollution from what other companies have been allowed to do, so how can you blame it on "US Ecology"?
"US Ecology" requested this permit five years ago, but it has been held up due to mass pressure. Now "US Ecology" has a go-ahead to do what it likes. This is a sign that Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is continuing the environmental policies pushed by the previous Republican Governor Rick Snyder, infamous for the Flint water disaster that broke out under his watch. Whitmer has changed the name of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), but the permit is in line with the Snyder policy of allowing industry to do what it will, no matter the impact on public health and the Great Lakes. A pro-polluter agency by any other name is still a pro-polluter agency!
Below is a press release from the Coalition to Oppose the Expansion of [the toxic waste plants run by the corporation] US Ecology.
On Thursday, January 30, 2020, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy gave their stamp of approval for the massive expansion of US Ecology, a toxic waste facility in the middle of Detroit. The Coalition to Oppose the Expansion of US Ecology had hoped the new administration in Lansing would enforce policy protecting public health over industry profit. But they chose to ignore the demands of the community, elected officials and local government. This environmental racism must stop.
The Community spoke out loud and clear for five years against more toxins in the Detroit & Hamtramck community: Protests, marches, soil tests, petitions to the Governor, demanding public hearings, demanding translators to include the immigrant communities in the discussion, and 800 comments sent in from community residents, scientists, environmental lawyers, professors and researchers.
The Coalition against the Expansion of US Ecology, along with the Yemeni American Public Affairs Council, the Hamtramck Community Initiative, the Georgia Street Community Collective and others, led the fight against the expansion of the dumping of toxins into public sewers. The community rallied to protect public health and the water supply. But the State chose to allow two additional buildings at the site and an array of more dangerous chemicals processed and stored at the plant. Some 45 trucks a day will be able transport poisons to the plant, endangering the health of the community and putting it at risk of industrial spills. Clearly we must continue our fight against pollution and environmental racism.
Despite the permit, one of the positive outcomes of our protracted battle is that the diverse community of Afro-Americans, Arabic and Bengali immigrants, residents of every color, religion and language, and the poorest community in the state, came together to fight to protect public health against environmental racism. The community must build on this strength.
Also, after two years of protests and a tumultuous meeting with the Coalition, Wayne County Commissioners, and representatives from the company, the community was able to stop radioactive waste from being processed or stored at US Ecology North [one of the two "US Ecology" plants in Detroit]. The company cleaned out their facility of all radioactive waste and gave up their permit to process TENORM [Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive material], according to the company and EGLE's R. Conforti. The Coalition also fought for and was successful in creating a ban on the processing of radioactive waste written into the Host Community Agreement with the City of Detroit, to hold the company accountable.
But once again, as in Flint, the attempts of the democratically elected representatives to protect their community were ignored. State Rep. Isaac Robinson, US Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski, and many others spoke out against a massive increase in toxic waste, along with the Detroit and Hamtramck City Councils and Wayne County Commissioners, who passed formal resolutions. The right of residents and democratically elected representatives to protect the health of their communities and their water must continue.
January 31, 2020
The next meeting of the Coalition is February 18th at 6:30 pm at the Georgia St Community Collective.
* Metro Times:
"Detroiters are disproportionately subjected to environmental
contamination and have the highest rates of asthma in Michigan.
Southwest Detroit is the most polluted area in the state and was the
subject of a Metro Times cover story on Jan. 8."
* Detroit Free Press: "Among the wastes accepted at the Georgia Street facility is PFAS, the nonstick compounds that don't break down in nature and are now known to cause health problems in humans. The state has contracted with US Ecology to collect and dispose of PFAS-containing firefighting foam from fire stations across Michigan."
"The US Ecology permit approval took more than five years of
consideration, as nearby residents packed public hearings and multiple
public protests were held outside the facility."
* Detroit News: "U.S. Ecology also has been cited on multiple occasions for violating state and federal codes, including those that control air quality as well as administrative offenses."
"The state contracted with U.S. Ecology to dispose of PFAS after state officials identified more than 30 contamination sites in Michigan that tested positive for PFAS in 2018.
"The location is currently being used as a staging area for
cataloging and documenting PFAS-containing solution from fire
departments and commercial airports across the state." <>
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Posted February 19,
2020
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