VBT commission hears reort on toxic landfill permit

David Brownlee, chairman of the Van Buren Township Environmental Commission, said at the commission’s Jan. 17 meeting that he wanted to talk about the interest generated by a Detroit Free Press writer concerning US Ecology’s hazardous waste landfill permit application in Van Buren Township.
“We talked about this in October,” Brownlee reminded the commission. “Let me try to summarize.”
He said every five years US Ecology (formerly EQ) seeks renewal of its license to operate and looks at the things that could be upgraded to include in the paperwork. (The operation is called Michigan Disposal Waste Treatment Plant.)
US Ecology requested an additional waste stream for cleaning contaminated earth, for a project that has a specific fingerprint, he said.
“They want to posture themselves to be in a better position for Super Fund cleanups,” he said. And, they want to be able to offload into an expanded enclosed area so the trucks can move on, he said.
“They’ve been able to treat dioxins,” Brownlee said. “This is not a new toxin. The waste stream is new, from a cleanup in Lansing.” He said the materials have some dioxins, but only certain levels are allowed in the landfill.
“The Free Press writer went to a dictionary and found…” dioxin, Brownlee said. The headline of his story read: “Michigan waste facility seeks OK to treat dioxins, among ‘most toxic man-made chemicals’.”
Then the social media picked it up and people became angry.
Brownlee said they can more safely treat the stuff they’re treating sitting in an enclosure. And, they want an additional groundwater monitoring well.
The waste comes in all kinds of approved containers and the new process to treat it in place is safer, he said. They are asking for changes in the treatment.
“It’s unfortunate, he called me,” Brownlee said of the reporter. He said he was taken aback because he wasn’t expecting that. Brownlee said he gave a response that said nobody wants a landfill, but it’s been here a long time and the township has to be vigilant.
Brownlee said there will be a public hearing before they make a decision, but that might not even be this year. He said that’s what Kimberly Tyson of MDEQ told him.
He said the Jan. 12 deadline stated for asking for a public hearing is the wrong date, according to Tyson and people can still ask for a public hearing before the required final public hearing.
Trustee Paul White, the township board’s liaison to the Environmental Commission, said in 2010 an agreement was signed by Van Buren Township.
Public Services Director Matthew Best said the agreement said the township supervisor would talk with US Ecology first with any concerns before going public. If that agreement was violated and the township damaged its chance to get its license renewed, US Ecology could rescind the host community agreement, Best said.
Commissioner Tony Gibson said the commission is a volunteer group that makes recommendations. The members can speak out as homeowners, but not as part of the group.
Brownlee said, it’s almost business as usual. Every five years they renew their license with some changes.
Belleville Lake drawdown
In other business at the Jan. 17 meeting, the commission discussed at length the proposed 5′-6′ drawdown of Belleville Lake in 2019. Brownlee issued homework assignments to commissioners to seek out all aspects of drawdowns on lakes and send them to him as soon as possible.
“We need an action list, talk to the Yacht Club, Belleville, Sandy’s. Let’s make it organized, not chaotic. … This is going to be no small task,” he said.
Best provided a large packet of photocopies of information on drawdowns at other lakes. He said, if this commission wants to do the drawdown, the sooner it says so, the better.
He said there is a deadline: after it’s cold in 2019, when it’s over and there’s a pizza party for the volunteers. He talked about matching T-shirts for volunteers that say “Belleville-Van Buren Township, We Care.” Best said the supervisor’s office is looking for this commission to head the volunteer effort and they could have up to 3,000 volunteers.
Homeowners need to know soon if they will need to hire contractors for 2019, Best said.
The drawdown will be discussed again at the 7 p.m., Feb. 21 commission meeting.
The commission also inspected plans to update the coal tar brochures that are being prepared to include specific information on VBT’s ban of coal tar sealant.