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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today shared a letter from Republic Services in response to questions raised at her June 18 Western Wayne Community Town Hall regarding hazardous waste and safety at Wayne Disposal Inc. 

In the letter, Russ Knocke, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs for Republic, writes:

“Per our recent telephone conversation, we would like to provide some answers to questions we believe were raised by participants at your Western Wayne Town Hall event on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Specifically, we would like to provide details regarding the testing and characterization procedures in place for all waste being shipped to WDI for disposal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as part of its Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program ("FUSRAP").”

Excerpts from the letter:

“WDI is not permitted to accept waste any more radioactive than a traditional non-hazardous solid waste landfill in Michigan- USACE simply chooses to dispose of this material at WDI because of its highly engineered construction and robust environmental monitoring programs.”

“WDI has an approved Radiological Monitoring Plan for the collection of data specifically designed to ensure the safe management and disposal of radiological waste. As part of that plan, the site monitors worker exposure, perimeter air samples, leachate, surface water, radon and groundwater data for radionuclides. All data collected is submitted to EGLE for its review. Site worker exposure has always been well below occupational safety levels, all monitoring results are consistent with natural background concentrations and below established action levels, and landfill leachate meets drinking water standards for radioactivity even before it is treated. In summary, WDI has a robust radiological monitoring program and makes the data publicly available via submission to EGLE as part of its regular compliance reporting cadence.”

“WDI remains firmly committed to transparency, active community engagement, and the responsible management of all materials accepted at the facility. We are confident in the strength and rigor of our environmental monitoring programs, which are designed to ensure that site operations remain protective of human health and the environment, with no adverse offsite impacts.”

View the full text of the letter here.

In addition to the information provided in the letter, Republic informed Dingell they are sending two of their team members to a nuclear training program at Harvard University in August and offered for someone from VBT Fire to join them. They also stated that if there's ever a similar program with the University of Michigan, they would be open to such a training in state.

In addition, at Rep. Dingell’s request, Republic agreed to create a website for the landfill for transparency and community engagement.

The letter comes ahead of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) public information session on Republic Services' application to expand operations at Wayne Disposal.