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Mayor: Wayne County halts shipments from New York to local radioactive‑waste site; legal review ongoing
Summary
Mayor Bercroft told the Romulus City Council that Wayne County announced it will stop delivering radioactive waste from New York to the local hazardous‑waste site, calling the decision a "small win" while warning court proceedings and other waste streams remain unresolved.
Mayor Bercroft told the Romulus City Council on July 28 that Wayne County has announced it will stop bringing radioactive waste from New York to the local hazardous‑waste processing site, a development the mayor described as a “small win.”
The mayor said the change applies only to the New York stream of material and that other sources of radioactive waste still move through the site. “I want to remind everybody, it's a small win and it's legal issues. We're way down the hearing from a judge still,” Mayor Bercroft said. He added the city is working “with the army corps engineers and legal teams” and that the situation remains fluid.
Why it matters: Romulus has been a focal point in regional litigation and public concern over radioactive material accepted at a local treatment or storage location. A county decision to stop accepting a specific out‑of‑state stream reduces one immediate route of incoming waste, but the mayor cautioned that the county announcement does not close broader legal and operational questions. The council was told that multiple streams of radioactive waste originate from across the country, and that the New York shipments are only one of those.
Council members asked no specific follow‑up questions during the mayor's report. The mayor did not assert a final court outcome; he repeatedly framed the county's action as contingent on ongoing litigation and regulatory review.
The mayor's remarks were part of his regular report to the council; he emphasized the city is coordinating with federal and county partners as the case proceeds through the courts. The council took no separate motion on the matter at the July 28 meeting, and no new local policy or ordinance was adopted concerning hazardous waste during the session.
What comes next: City staff and legal counsel will continue to monitor court filings and coordinate with the Army Corps and county officials. The mayor asked residents and council members to “stay tuned” because the legal posture and operational decisions were changing frequently.
