LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan House of Representatives is expected to take up a proposal this week that critics say would make the state a magnet for radioactive waste from fracking around the country.

The state Senate has already passed SB 1195, which would allow specialized Type I landfills, like the one run by US Ecology in Belleville, to accept radioactive waste measuring 10 times the current federal standard – even 100 times more, with extra precautions.

Diane Weckerle, co-chair of the Coalition to Oppose the Expansion of US Ecology and a board member of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, says very few states allow this material.

"You know, you would think that the politicians would learn after the Flint water crisis that they would be concerned,” she states. “This legislation opens the barn doors in Michigan, calling on different states to bring in their radioactive waste."

At issue is a byproduct of fracking called Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or TENORM.

A second bill adds a disposal fee of $5 per ton to go toward safety monitoring.

Protesters are rallying Monday morning at the US Ecology facility in Detroit.

The company says it monitors landfill liners and groundwater for safety.

LuAnne Kozma, campaign director of the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan, notes the legislation would allow diluted TENORM to be dumped in regular or Type II landfills.

"They are redefining in this bill what is TENORM, so anything that is less than a certain concentration would not even be called TENORM,” she points out. “They can dilute this stuff and bring it all in."

Sean Hammond, deputy policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council, sees the bills as a good first step if rules are tightened on Type II landfills.

"The intent the behind the bills is essentially to set these regulations in law when they arguably were, you know, allowed under the current law anyway,” he explains. “This makes it clearer, and really does start this conversation on limiting TENORM in the state."

But Diane D'Arrigo, radioactive waste project director for the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, says there is no safe level of radiation.

Her nonprofit group says certain byproducts of the waste dissolve into rainwater and will end up in the water supply eventually, because liners only have a 20 to 30-year lifespan.

"They're not intended, even, to isolate material for the thousands of years that some of this fracking waste stays legitimately dangerous," she stresses.

D'Arrigo adds the legislation would leave it up to the landfill owners, not regulators, to evaluate incoming waste for potential radioactive exposure.


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Compared to other states, North Dakota has not seen a lot of documented water contamination from the "forever chemicals" known as Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), but residents who suspect there may be exposure in their community are being urged to follow up.

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice is encouraging grassroots efforts to address suspected contamination. Policymakers and scientists are paying more attention to health risks tied to the human-made compounds found in many consumer products and firefighting foam.

Andrea Amico, co-founder of the Testing for Pease community action group in New Hampshire, said for anyone thinking about getting involved, there are ways to make your voice heard.

"Testifying at government hearings on PFAS, attending and presenting at national conferences, participating in exposure assessments and health studies," Amico outlined.

Amico became involved after her family was affected by contaminated drinking water near a former Air Force Base in her state, where firefighting foam had been used in training. In 2020, North Dakota collected samples from dozens of water systems, yielding three minor detections, and there are concerns with soil contamination reported at sites like Fargo's Air National Guard Base.

In addition to military sites, Amico pointed out people living in industrial areas and near landfills should be aware of what's potentially lurking in their groundwater. The national coalition she is involved with has established goals to help protect communities around the country.

"And we want to work towards regulation of PFAS as a class, and we want it at one part per trillion or less, as we feel that is the most protective standard for communities," Amico asserted.

She added challenges include navigating the multiple layers of communication in reaching out to regulators and elected officials.

While the military funded the cleanup of the site near her home, Amico noted those examples are rare. The federal infrastructure law approved last year included $10 billion to address PFAS contamination nationwide.

An annual list of best and worst produce, in terms of pesticide residue, is out - and strawberries, spinach, kale, and collard and mustard greens top the list.

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" from the Environmental Working Group also include nectarines, apples, grapes, peppers, cherries, peaches, pears, celery and tomatoes. Sydney Swanson, a healthy-living science analyst for the group, said the data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, based on 45,000 produce samples.

"This year, we did find that over 70% of conventional produce sold in the United States was contaminated with pesticides," she said. "While everything tested was within legal limits, we believe that 'legal' does not mean 'safe.'"

Farmers have said they only apply pesticides approved by the feds. EWG said people should still eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but recommends they choose organic produce. Last year, the Biden administration reinstated an Obama-era ban on the notorious pesticide chlorpyrifos, a ban that was lifted during the Trump years.

Swanson said people should wash all fruits and vegetables, but noted that the USDA also washes the produce samples before testing them.

"The USDA washes them and prepares them the exact same way that a consumer would prepare them at home," she said, "and they test it that way. So, the pesticide residue that we would be exposed to is the same amount that the USDA is detecting."

The group also publishes a list of produce it calls the "Clean Fifteen" - on which almost 70% of samples had no detectable pesticide residues. That list includes, starting with the cleanest: avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew, kiwis, cabbage, mushrooms, cantaloupe, mangoes, watermelon and sweet potatoes.

A new report grades clothing companies based on their commitment to phasing out a toxic class of chemicals known as PFAS.

Three of the companies graded are based in Oregon, including Keen Footwear, which received an 'A minus' for removing PFAS from its shoes. However, Nike and Portland-based Columbia Sportswear fared worse, getting 'D plus' and 'F' grades, respectively.

Charlie Fisher is state director of the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group, or OSPIRG. He said PFAS are used to make clothing water, grease and stain resistant.

"The problem is that these chemicals are toxic to human health and persist in the environment and our bodies for so long that they have been given the nickname 'forever chemicals'," said Fisher. "And exposure to PFAS has been linked to really a wide range of serious health effects, such as kidney and liver disease, immune system suppression and even cancer."

Of the 30 apparel brands surveyed in the report, 18 received a 'D' grade or lower for their weak commitments to eliminating PFAS. Levi Strauss received the highest marks.

The report was compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Fashion FWD, and the US PIRG Education Fund.

Fisher said companies such as Columbia Sportswear are making some efforts to get PFAS out of their supply chain. He said Columbia Sportswear has a sustainable clothing line committed to removing PFAS this year.

"It demonstrates that they believe there's a feasibility in removing PFAS from the supply chain, yet they haven't made any commitments for the rest of their products," said Fisher. "And so, they show that it's possible and we just think that it's time that they take the next step."

The report recommends companies phase out PFAS and replace them with safe alternatives. It also says the apparel brands should label clothing that has PFAS in it so that consumers can make informed decisions about what they're buying.