VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Wayne County Circuit Court judge has issued a permanent injunction against Wayne Disposal Inc., permanently banning the Van Buren Township facility from accepting radiological materials connected to the Manhattan Project.
The ruling comes after roughly two years of community concern and legal action over shipments of waste described by environmental activists as radioactive, delivered to the 600-acre disposal site from New York. The materials are among those used in developing the nuclear bombs deployed during World War II.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report below:
Francesca Telschow, a resident who lives near the facility, said the decision brought relief after years of worry.
"We're ecstatic. We were really concerned about it," Telschow said.
Telschow said the issue felt deeply personal.
"People that have been in the neighborhood have been there for many years — my husband and myself, my mother lives there," Telschow said.
Community members first expressed outrage in 2024 after learning of the shipments. No rules at the time prohibited Wayne Disposal from accepting the materials.
August 2025 report: 'We have had enough.' Lawmakers oppose more hazardous waste dumping in Wayne County
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri of Brownstown Township was among those who backed the lawsuit to halt the deliveries.
"It's bigger than just Wayne County. This is something that affects all of us. We are the Great Lakes state and we should be doing all that we can to protect our environment," Camilleri said.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans also commented on the significance of the ruling.
"It's a permanent injunction. So, unless the other side is victorious in some appeal, this will stand and this will stay. We're excited that we were able to win," Evans said.
Wayne Disposal responded with a statement disputing the court's decision.
"We respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision, and we will appeal it. Wayne Disposal, Inc. is a safe, well‑managed facility that is specifically engineered to handle FUSRAP TENORM and other complex waste streams. This ruling sets a troubling precedent that undermines protections afforded to interstate commerce and impedes site remediation, as well as the safe and effective long‑term management of these materials for customers in Michigan and throughout the country."
In September 2025, the company invited reporters to tour the site, where staff highlighted safety protocols they said were in place to prevent any harm or issues.
Watch the September 2025 report below:
Camilleri said he intends to continue pushing for stronger state-level legislation regardless of the court outcome.
"We should have a statewide plan and statewide standard of how we should be addressing this type of material. In my opinion, we should be regulating to the best of our ability and that's what our bills do," Camiller said.
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