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Canton Township board adopts resolution opposing planned radioactive waste shipments through region
Summary
The Canton Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution asking Wayne Disposal Inc. and federal authorities to reconsider planned shipments of radioactive soil, concrete and contaminated groundwater from the Niagara Falls storage site and to notify local officials in advance of routes, dates and safety plans.
The Canton Township Board of Trustees passed a resolution opposing planned shipments of radioactive soil, concrete and groundwater slated to move from the Niagara Falls storage site to a disposal facility near Wayne County.
Supervisor Grama Hudak introduced the resolution, saying township officials were not notified and that residents and motorists could be put at risk. The resolution says the Wayne Disposal Incorporated hazardous waste landfill is preparing to accept “6,000 cubic yards of soil and concrete and 4,000 gallons of groundwater contaminated with elevated radiation” and asks the federal government and the facility to seek alternatives that do not put local communities at risk. “We want this stopped,” Hudak said during discussion of the measure.
Trustees discussed limits on local authority, including interstate commerce rulings referenced in the meeting as constraining the ability of municipalities to block shipments, and emphasized the need for changes in intergovernmental agreements and advance notice of routes, dates and safety measures. The board noted the Conference of Western Wayne — a regional coalition of 18 communities — had passed a similar resolution representing more than 730,000 residents.
Public commenters reinforced the board’s concern. Resident Vijaya Sastry, who said she attended a Wayne County hearing on the matter, asked officials to involve health professionals and engineers and to explain how residents could help. “Stopping radioactive material has been a very big concern for me,” she told trustees. Dan McCausland, who spoke during both agenda-item and general public comment periods, said residents want the shipments stopped rather than simply informed.
The board approved the resolution by voice vote and said it would publicize a planned town hall — expected the Wednesday after Labor Day — that will include state and federal representatives to discuss the transport, safety precautions and next steps. The resolution does not change federal or state law; it records the township’s formal request for alternative disposal plans and for advance notice of transport details.
