Romulus – Three Metro Detroit congressmen have asked the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to open public comment on the renewal of an operating permit for a hazardous waste site in Romulus that recently received toxic waste from a rail derailment in Ohio.
Industrial and Energy Services LLC’s hazardous waste site in Romulus has the only injection wells in Michigan licensed to dispose of hazardous waste. About 15% of solid waste and about 7% of liquid waste were derailed in February in East Palestine, Ohio at the Romulus and Ecology Wayne Disposal site in Belleville.
Democratic Reps. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor and Rashida Tlaib and Sri Thanedar, both of Detroit, urged EGLE to reopen the public feedback window in a letter Friday.
They wrote in the letter that local authorities and elected officials were not informed about the dumping of toxic waste from East Palestine in Romulus until the Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the Republic of Tajikistan Industrial and Energy Service reached an agreement.
“By working closely with the Governor, EGLE officials and the US Environmental Protection Agency, we were able to act quickly to stop further shipments and return truckloads of hazardous waste to Ohio,” the lawmakers wrote. “But this experience has clearly shown the urgent need for further public debate about how and where to dispose of toxic and hazardous waste.”
The Republic submitted an application to EGLE in April 2021 for a permit extension that does not include permits for the facility’s underground fuel wells. EGLE is in progress review of the application. The facility is currently licensed to receive hazardous industrial wastewater, which is corrosive, and to store hazardous waste in above-ground tanks and treat it in indoor tanks.
Dingell, Tlaib and Thanedar said they learned about the license renewal days after learning of toxic waste from the East Palestine train tracks in Michigan. They also noted that the public comment period had already closed and said that robust public discussion and debate had not been ensured over the past several months.
“Although some state elected officials were notified of the public hearing, many of the first responders most affected by the renewal application were unaware and unable to comment,” the lawmakers wrote. “Notice of public comment periods and public hearings on these controversial topics should be widely disseminated and should include a comprehensive strategy involving all local leaders in the region.”
The Romulus site has been controversial for decades, and Dingell, Tlaib and Thanedar said they are concerned about health and environmental risks posed by its continued operation. It was first permitted to handle hazardous waste in 2005, but was closed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2006-11 under a different owner after violations allowed hazardous waste to escape.
The facility’s previous owner, Environmental Geo-Technologies Inc., was also fined more than $20,000 by the EPA in 2018 for violating the Hazardous Waste Act. Potential violations include failure to seal and label containers and lack of adequate leak detection systems.
Republic purchased the facility in 2019, and EPA records show the alleged violations last summer. An EGLE inspector reported that the Romulus site did not adequately identify or label the waste or meet the requirements of the impoundment system or facility in July.
The Republic site is still listed as a “significant non-performer” in the EPA database, but EGLE confirmed that those violations were resolved by a follow-up inspection in October and did not result in the release of any pollutants. EGLE is in the process of drafting a consent order to determine potential fines and penalties that may be imposed on the Republic of Tajikistan.
Kevin Krause, director of safety and community development for Romulus, previously told The Detroit News that the latest violations were administrative and said they did not give him reason to be concerned about the safety of the facility. Romulus was initially opposed to the creation of wells.
“We strongly urge EGLE to reopen and extend the public comment period for this facility, as well as hold another public hearing on its approval of a stronger communications plan for the Romulus community and surrounding area,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote in the letter.
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LOCAL NEWS
Romulus – Three Metro Detroit congressmen have asked the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to open public comment on the renewal of an operating permit for a hazardous waste site in Romulus that recently received toxic waste from a rail derailment in Ohio.
Industrial and Energy Services LLC’s hazardous waste site in Romulus has the only injection wells in Michigan licensed to dispose of hazardous waste. About 15% of solid waste and about 7% of liquid waste were derailed in February in East Palestine, Ohio at the Romulus and Ecology Wayne Disposal site in Belleville.
Democratic Reps. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor and Rashida Tlaib and Sri Thanedar, both of Detroit, urged EGLE to reopen the public feedback window in a letter Friday.
They wrote in the letter that local authorities and elected officials were not informed about the dumping of toxic waste from East Palestine in Romulus until the Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the Republic of Tajikistan Industrial and Energy Service reached an agreement.
“By working closely with the Governor, EGLE officials and the US Environmental Protection Agency, we were able to act quickly to stop further shipments and return truckloads of hazardous waste to Ohio,” the lawmakers wrote. “But this experience has clearly shown the urgent need for further public debate about how and where to dispose of toxic and hazardous waste.”
The Republic submitted an application to EGLE in April 2021 for a permit extension that does not include permits for the facility’s underground fuel wells. EGLE is in progress review of the application. The facility is currently licensed to receive hazardous industrial wastewater, which is corrosive, and to store hazardous waste in above-ground tanks and treat it in indoor tanks.
Dingell, Tlaib and Thanedar said they learned about the license renewal days after learning of toxic waste from the East Palestine train tracks in Michigan. They also noted that the public comment period had already closed and said that robust public discussion and debate had not been ensured over the past several months.
“Although some state elected officials were notified of the public hearing, many of the first responders most affected by the renewal application were unaware and unable to comment,” the lawmakers wrote. “Notice of public comment periods and public hearings on these controversial topics should be widely disseminated and should include a comprehensive strategy involving all local leaders in the region.”
The Romulus site has been controversial for decades, and Dingell, Tlaib and Thanedar said they are concerned about health and environmental risks posed by its continued operation. It was first permitted to handle hazardous waste in 2005, but was closed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2006-11 under a different owner after violations allowed hazardous waste to escape.
The facility’s previous owner, Environmental Geo-Technologies Inc., was also fined more than $20,000 by the EPA in 2018 for violating the Hazardous Waste Act. Potential violations include failure to seal and label containers and lack of adequate leak detection systems.
Republic purchased the facility in 2019, and EPA records show the alleged violations last summer. An EGLE inspector reported that the Romulus site did not adequately identify or label the waste or meet the requirements of the impoundment system or facility in July.
The Republic site is still listed as a “significant non-performer” in the EPA database, but EGLE confirmed that those violations were resolved by a follow-up inspection in October and did not result in the release of any pollutants. EGLE is in the process of drafting a consent order to determine potential fines and penalties that may be imposed on the Republic of Tajikistan.
Kevin Krause, director of safety and community development for Romulus, previously told The Detroit News that the latest violations were administrative and said they did not give him reason to be concerned about the safety of the facility. Romulus was initially opposed to the creation of wells.
“We strongly urge EGLE to reopen and extend the public comment period for this facility, as well as hold another public hearing on its approval of a stronger communications plan for the Romulus community and surrounding area,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote in the letter.
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