A bench trial before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Sean Cox on a lawsuit against Wayne Disposal, Inc. has been set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 2.
Wayne Disposal is a hazardous landfill on the North I-94 Service Drive in Van Buren Township. Those bringing the lawsuit seek to have any radio-active waste kept from being disposed of at the site.
The case was filed Sept. 16, 2024 by Canton and Van Buren charter townships, cities of Belleville and Romulus, and the Van Buren Township Fire Chief. Wayne County joined as an intervening party.
On Oct. 10, 2024 the case was removed to federal court by Wayne Disposal and on Dec. 11, 2024 it was returned to circuit court from federal court.
There have been many motions and court dates since then. Judge Cox issued a preliminary injunction stopping the waste from the Manhattan Project era from being delivered from Niagara Falls, NY, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shifted the shipment to Texas.
On Oct. 15, 2025 the defendant made a motion to clarify the preliminary injunction order of Aug. 6, 2025 and on Oct. 20, 2025 it was granted in part and denied in part. On Oct. 30, the court was informed that an appeal to the higher court was denied.
A special conference has been set for 2:15 p.m. Jan. 21, followed by the Feb. 2 trial.
