Detroit, MI
Wayne County to hold public meeting on plan to store hazardous, radioactive waste in landfill

Chernobyl without power, energy officials fear possible radioactive leak
Chernobyl Nuclear Plant was disconnected from the power grid. ome officials fear it could cause a leak of radioactive material.
Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
Wayne County commissioners plan a public discussion Tuesday on a controversial plan to bring hazardous and radioactive waste into a Van Buren Township landfill.
The public discussion is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at 500 Griswold St. in Detroit, inside the Guardian Building. Several officials were concerned about the plan after the Detroit Free Press reported that Wayne Disposal will take 6,000 cubic yards of soil and concrete, and 4,000 gallons of groundwater contaminated with radiation from a site in New York where the Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb during and after World War II.
“Transferring nuclear waste poses a serious threat to residents in the area and throughout our county, and we want to make sure their voices are heard,” Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell said in a statement. “We are the nation’s 19th most-populated county and we sit alongside the world’s largest freshwater supply. Surely, there are other, less-populated and less-risky places where this waste can be stored.”
Environmental officials are expected to participate in the discussion, including Elizabeth Browne from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and Patrick Cullen from the county’s environmental services department. Van Buren Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara is also expected to participate. Commissioners aim to provide sufficient information to divert the hazardous waste elsewhere, according to the Wayne County Commission.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans previously questioned why wastes find their way to Wayne County. Arizona-based waste giant Republic Services’ Wayne Disposal and Michigan Disposal operate as among the largest hazardous waste landfills and processing facilities in the nation.
“While I understand that these materials have to go somewhere, and few if any public officials are willing to welcome toxic waste with open arms, there needs to be a solution, through new policy or legislation, that doesn’t equal Wayne County as dumping ground for what no one else wants. Because that is an assignment we simply will not accept,” Evans said in a statement.
State and local officials are hamstrung in regulating hazardous waste. A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on imported garbage declared out-of-state trash “articles of commerce” — essentially a commodity or good — that could not be restricted under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. That case arose from St. Clair County officials attempting to restrict a local landfill from accepting out-of-state waste.
State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, in a statement Monday said the plan to accept the waste is “alarming” and called for a larger discussion about hazardous waste management in the country.
“Wayne County is the most populous county in Michigan, and our state is surrounded by 20% of the world’s fresh water. We cannot continue to be America’s dumping ground for toxic waste. Our district and our community deserve so much better,” Camilleri said.
The meeting will also be livestreamed on the Wayne County Commission YouTube page and available through Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/2234975895.
More: How southeast Michigan became a dumping ground for America’s most dangerous chemicals
Free Press reporter Keith Matheny contributed to this story.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

Detroit, MI
Former congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick lying in state at Wright Museum

Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick lie in state on Monday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for a daylong visitation ahead of her funeral on Wednesday.
Cheeks Kilpatrick, 80, died on Oct. 7 following a long illness, family and friends said.
The mother of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick served seven terms in Congress and nine terms in the Michigan House of Representatives as a Democrat. She left office at the end of 2010 after losing reelection in a Democratic primary.
Cheeks Kilpatrick’s funeral is planned to begin at noon on Wednesday at Greater Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, 19190 Schaefer Hwy., on Detroit’s west side.
Monday’s visitation was scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the museum, 315 E. Warren.
Detroit, MI
MSP trooper injured after vehicle strikes patrol car on I-96 in Detroit

A Michigan State Police trooper was injured after his patrol car was struck by a Jeep Cherokee driver who lost control on Interstate 96 in Detroit, running into the trooper’s car during a crash investigation, police said.
The trooper was sitting on the shoulder of westbound I-96 at Fullerton Avenue in Detroit investigating a single-vehicle crash, according to Michigan State Police.
The 55-year-old driver of the Jeep Cherokee lost control and struck the patrol car, pushing it into the rear of the car involved in the initial crash, according to MSP. The trooper was in his patrol car and was injured, as were two people in the Jeep.
“It is important for drivers to remember to slow down in wet weather,” said MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw in a press release. “This particular driver was not only driving too fast for road conditions, he also had three of his four tires worn below the wear bars which also led him to lose control and crash.”
kberg@detroitnews.com
Detroit, MI
Detroit businesses prepare for economic boost from Free Press Marathon Sunday

DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — Thousands of runners are expected to flood downtown Detroit on Sunday for the Free Press Marathon, and local businesses are gearing up for the economic boost that comes with the annual event.
Holly McClain, owner of Olin Bar and Kitchen on East Grand River, said her team is prepared for the influx of hungry marathoners and spectators.
“We get an uptick of people all weekend which is great for us especially on Sunday,” McClain said.
WXYZ
More than 26,000 runners are expected to participate in this year’s race, which starts at 7 a.m.
McClain said the restaurant sees customers both before and after the marathon, with many taking advantage of their Sunday brunch that starts at 10:30 a.m.
“We get right before the marathon, after the marathon. We have a Sunday brunch starts at 10:30 so we see a lot of guest from the marathon,” McClain said.
When asked if runners come hungry, McClain was ready with an answer.
“They do come hungry and we’re ready to feed them. All of them,” McClain said.
The restaurant owner said she’s excited about the continued growth and development in downtown Detroit, particularly with new businesses opening nearby.
“It’s great when our neighbors open up businesses especially having the Hudson site right next door to us and more businesses coming in and bringing more people to Olin,” McClain said.
The Free Press Marathon generates significant economic impact for Detroit. Last year, the race brought in more than $23 million for the city.
Beyond the economic benefits, the event also raises money for various charities including the Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan and Boy Scouts of America.
“The more people that come down to Detroit, we’re excited about it,” McClain said.
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