UPDATE ON THE US ECOLOGY SOUTH PERMIT: MARCH 1, 2023
TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY FOR 48211, 48212 and 48213 ZIP CODES :
- USE-DS is operating on a 2003 (20 year old) Part 111 (hazardous waste) permit. On the USE-DS website, they have posted an October 2019 authorization from EGLE MMD letter, in response to USE's request, to continue to extend the 2003 Waste operating permit.
- As we know, the waste permit application was submitted by USE-DS and was offered for public comment. We commented and asked a list of questions in March 2022.
- They are inspected frequently by EGLE MMD, most recently in January 2023. They are indicated in significant noncompliance on the EPA ECHO website since January 2022. ECHO does not show detail and the Michigan WDS system doesn't show much more but it looks like the issues are general waste management issues. The January 2023 compliance report is still pending.
- It has been nearly a year since EGLE MMD has had public comments and the USE-DS application
- The EGLE contact that was listed as the contact for comments for the US Ecology Detroit South (USE-DS) permit was Andrew Bertapelle BertapelleA1@Michigan.gov. Contact to get current status.
TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY FOR 48211, 48212 and 48213 ZIP CODES :
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US ECOLOGY SHUT DOWN JUNE 2023: https://www.bridgedetroit.com/did-hazardous-waste-facilitys-unreported-errors-put-detroiters-at-risk/
GLEL article links:
https://www.bridgedetroit.com/michigan-stopped-ohio-toxic-waste-last-week-but-we-import-waste-every-day/ https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/toxic-wastes-and-race-at-twenty-1987-2007.pdf ******************************************************************** FENCELINE HOUSTON OFFICIAL STATEMENT: TOXIC WASTE FROM OHIO DERAILMENT HEADED TO HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL Official Statement From Fenceline Watch For Immediate Release: February 23, 2023 We are outraged by today's announcement that toxic waste from the Ohio train disaster will be injected along Houston Ship Channel communities. Fenceline communities, especially those in Texas, which leads the nation in uninsured 1and last in the nation for prenatal and maternal care; we are forced to absorb the deadly costs of these toxic disasters. Waste transporters, Texas Molecular, has been the subject of 10 compliance investigations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the past five years. Texas Molecular has admitted that there is potential for this injected toxic water to the surface, stating:"Could it come up someday? Yes, maybe, but hundreds of years from now or thousands of years from now." Communities from the Gulf Coast to Appalachia subsidize the cost of cheap disposable plastic at the fenceline of oil rigs, petrochemical plants, and incinerators. Enough studies and reports have confirmed the price we pay with our lives, from shortened lifespans, reproductive harm, and developmental issues; these toxics trespass our bodies and harm our communities for generations. Holding polluters accountable and creating safety controls is the bare minimum. As a community-based organization in Houston, Texas, at the mouth of the largest petrochemical complex in the nation (over 618 petrochemical manufacturers), we have experienced catastrophes first-hand. Industries will always use a jobs argument and never mention the explosions, water contamination, dumping grounds, poor working conditions, or lives lost. Fortunately, a growing consciousness of plastic's true cost permeates society and openly resists the sacrifice we pay for trash. Connecting our communities in these times of need further fuels our efforts, volunteer base, and supporters. Fenceline Watch has and continues to share information on what Ohio communities should be asking from officials. We are actively developing a resource for communities facing chemical disasters it will formally launch later this year. While the toxic fumes may have settled, yet another community is scarred by legacy contamination's impact. Like so many, we fight for our lives by changing the rules, translating information, fighting permits against these polluting industries, and closing knowledge gaps. At the global level, hundreds of countriesare taking action through the Global Plastics Treaty. At the national level, Senator Booker (D-NJ), Rep. Huffman (CA-2), Senator Merkley (D-OR), and over 40 congresspeople, including Texas' own Rep. Lloyd Doggett, are calling on EPA to address the plastic crisis with SB 5163, Protecting Communities from Plastic Act. The tragedy in East Palestine, Ohio, was caused by the fossil fuels industries' endless appetite to produce more and more plastic. The railroad derailed, but the chemicals contaminated an entire community's water, air, and homes. -Fenceline Watch, A Houston-based environmental justice organization References: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/5163 https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment/inc-plastic-pollution https://www15.tceq.texas.gov/crpub/index.cfm?fuseaction=iwr.invdetail&addn_id=378294962003100&re_id=334380692001134 https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=59688 https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/21/texas-medicaid-insurance/ Fenceline Watch | Houston, Texas | [email protected] | www.fencelinewatch.com |
Toxic waste from the East Palestine, Ohio derailment being transported to US Ecology in Belleville, MI and injected along the Houston ship channel.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-materials-to-be-sent-to-wayne-county-for-disposal www.wfmj.com/story/48439811/contaminated-soil-from-east-palestine-train-derailment-heading-for-michigan https://www.wired.com/story/the-ohio-derailment-lays-bare-the-hellish-plastic-crisis/ Van Buren Township, just outside Detroit... What we know and don’t know. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/21/van-buren-township-train-derailment-what-we-know-and-dont-know here is an update that moving waste to Michigan has been halted https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/detroit/news/toxic-waste-coming-from-ohio-to-michigan-following-train-derailment/ February 25th, 2023OHIO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/news/east-palestine-update-022523 Please note, that as of MARCH 1, 2023 the removal of toxic waste at the E. Palatine, Ohio site has resumed. (The article states that it was paused). ***************************************************************** NOTES FROM DENISE TRABBIC POINTER, volunteer with Sierra Club and retired chemical engineer: Denise Trabbic-Pointer Wed, Mar 1, 10:12 AM I wanted to also share my thoughts and knowledge on the trans-state boundary movement of hazardous waste. Generators of hazardous waste are responsible to characterize their waste and to determine the best, properly permitted type of treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) to send it to. They often also consider the most environmentally beneficial, safe disposal method. For example, high-BTU VOC wastes are ideally recycled but if they cannot be, it is better to dispose of in a "waste to energy" facility vs incineration. Unless it is soil, landfilling hazardous waste is generally the least desired option. I personally never sent waste for deep=well injection. In the case of contaminated soil, whether from an incident like East Palestine, an onsite release at a facility, or from planned remediation work, the best way to dispose of contaminated soil is usually at a properly permitted landfill. In the case of East Palestine, the soil is likely a listed hazardous waste. There aren't many permitted hazardous waste landfills and Wayne Disposal (WDI) in Belleville is one of them. They are also a TSCA landfill and can accept PCB-contaminated waste. The basic message here is that every day, wastes are being shipped to other states. Ironically, I looked at US Ecology Detroit South RCRAInfo information this morning and they send residual hazardous wastes from their operations to Ross Incineration in Grafton, Ohio. When I was responsible for the Mt Clemens DuPont Plant, I also shipped some of our wastes to Ross because they have uniquique capabilities to incinerate waste there. We also had legacy PCB issues and, besides sending our solid PCB wastes to WDI, we had to ship any liquid PCB wastes all the way to Texas because there are even fewer TSCA incinerators. As I mentioned last evening, how the railroad shipped waste initially was very poorly managed. The following is the most recent information I have on the status of the East Palestine waste, except the movement of waste is no longer on pause. Ohio EMS 2/25 update: Contaminated Waste Removal The removal of hazardous waste from the derailment site has been paused by the U.S. EPA. In an update to the public on Thursday, the state provided information that Norfolk Southern had chosen to contract with licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities in Texas and Michigan for the disposal of hazardous waste from the derailment. According to the U.S. EPA, the U.S. EPA ordered the transport be stopped so that additional oversight measures could be put in place to supervise where Norfolk Southern disposes of the contaminated materials. Of the twenty truckloads (approximately 280 tons) of hazardous solid waste hauled away from the derailment site, 15 truckloads of contaminated soil had already been disposed of at the licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in Michigan. Five truckloads of contaminated soil were returned to East Palestine. The licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in Texas will dispose of liquid waste that has already been trucked out of East Palestine, but no additional liquid waste will be accepted at the Texas facility at this time. Currently, about 102,000 gallons of liquid waste and 4,500 cubic yards of solid waste remain in storage on site in East Palestine, not including the five truckloads returned to the village. Additional solid and liquid wastes are being generated as the cleanup progresses. In all circumstances involving hazardous waste in the United States, the waste must be disposed of at a licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility. All licensed treatment and disposal facilities must meet the requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act’s hazardous waste permitting program, which ensures the safe management of hazardous waste in a manner that protects public health and the environment. Both the Texas and Michigan facilities are licensed. |
Submissions for Congressional Record - Detroit Field Hearing Sept. 13, 2022
To Congresswoman Tlaib and Staff,
Please see the information below and linked in this Google Doc gathered to support the testimonies presented at the Congressional Field Hearing regarding the Detroit Incinerator and US Ecology. All of this information can be used for any letters sent to US Ecology or regulatory agencies.
US Ecology Articles:
Sincerely,
KT Andresky
Campaign Organizer
Breathe Free Detroit
Melissa Sargent Cooper
Ecology Center
Reverend Sharon Buttry
Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REGULATED WASTE FACILITIES IN MI:
To Congresswoman Tlaib and Staff,
Please see the information below and linked in this Google Doc gathered to support the testimonies presented at the Congressional Field Hearing regarding the Detroit Incinerator and US Ecology. All of this information can be used for any letters sent to US Ecology or regulatory agencies.
US Ecology Articles:
- Article (March, 2022): “A battle over a toxic waste facility is bringing renewed attention to a regulatory concept known as cumulative risk.”
- Article (August, 2022): MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF PFAS WASTE GO UNREPORTED TO EPA “US Ecology failed to report more than 11 million pounds of PFAS-contaminated waste at its facility in Beatty, Nevada.”
- Article (March, 2016) Does MDEQ put economic growth ahead of people?
- From the article: "The state has the power to look at a situation and say, ‘This is not acceptable for our people, regardless of whether federal law allows it or not,’ he said. ‘And, so far, we have not had a state government that has the backbone and the courage to stand up for the people who need that support the most.’"
- Article (September, 2020): Communities of color are dumping grounds for toxic waste in Michigan
- From the article: “Over the past 10 years, U.S. Ecology has been cited more than 150 times for releasing excessive amounts of toxic chemicals into the sewer system, according to Great Lake Water Authority records… U.S. Ecology has dumped an excessive amount of nearly two dozen types of hazardous chemicals or metals into the sewer system, environmental records show. Wastewater sampling found alarmingly high levels of arsenic, mercury, and titanium in the sewer system near U.S. Ecology.”
- Article (November, 2016): US Ecology's permit violations anger Detroit neighbors
- From the article: “A hazardous waste processing facility in Detroit … has released excessive amounts of mercury, arsenic, cyanide and other toxic chemicals into the city sewer system more than 150 times since September 2010, a review of Great Lakes Water Authority records shows … The records show frequent, sometimes alarming, violations of permitted maximum discharges on at least 20 hazardous chemicals or metals, either discovered by the authority during inspections or self-reported by US Ecology at its facility on Georgia Street near the Hamtramck border. The records also show that the company almost never provided a written explanation to Water Authority officials about why a violation occurred and why it wouldn't again in the future, a requirement of its permit.”
- Information from EGLE/the state of Michigan on the past violations from US Ecology
- 2022 - US Ecology Petition for a Host Community Agreement with nearly 300 Signatures
- Pangea Environmental LLC's Infrastructure Letter and the supporting report: Full Water‐Cycle Monitoring in an Urban Catchment Reveals Unexpected Water Transfers (Detroit MI, USA)
- 2021 Cumulative health map by Dr. Adrienne Jordan from the WSU School of Public Health
- A health impact assessment to evaluate the expansion of U.S. Ecology Detroit-North by Farah Kader, Erin Finn, Lauren Bacans-Grounds - University of Michigan School of Public Health
- 2020 Civil Complaint against MDEGLE
- Article (July, 2022): Detroit’s incinerator is coming down. Now, neighbors want a say in repairing toxic legacy.
- Article (December, 2021): Environmental groups reach settlement on Detroit incinerator
- Article (January, 2020): The blackest city in the US is facing an environmental justice nightmare
- Article (2019): How Detroiters Finally Won the 30 Year Fight to Shut Down Enormous Trash Incinerator
- Article (May, 2018) shows lack of regulation and loopholes: Detroit Renewable Power waste incinerator pollutes. Is DEQ doing enough?
- Followup Article (March, 2019): The Detroit incinerator has been awful for 30 years. Why is it closing now?
- From the article: "breaking the law hasn't really been a problem for the incinerator's operators over the last 30 years. There's been little political will or practical ability to hold the incinerator accountable for violating air quality standards. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality cited Detroit Renewable Energy 750 times between 2013 and 2018, a Free Press investigation found. That's once every 2.4 days. But the MDEQ was willing to negotiate with the incinerator operator, fining it just $149,000 for eight of those offenses. And that's more or less par for the incinerator course."
- Followup Article (March, 2019): The Detroit incinerator has been awful for 30 years. Why is it closing now?
- Article (January, 2019): Environment Michigan, coalition partners, and local residents file intent to sue Detroit incinerator: DRP run incinerator allegedly repeatedly violated Clean Air Act permits
- Article(August, 2018): Detroit incinerator seeks odor fix as neighbors raise stink
Sincerely,
KT Andresky
Campaign Organizer
Breathe Free Detroit
Melissa Sargent Cooper
Ecology Center
Reverend Sharon Buttry
Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REGULATED WASTE FACILITIES IN MI:
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