While small amounts of radioactive material exist in every state due to medical, industrial, and natural resources - the issue we face is very different.
We're talking about massive, out-of-state shipments of radioactive waste including legacy waste from decades-old nuclear projects - being transported into Michigan and buried near our communities. That's what we must stop. Out-of-State generators are sending their hazardous waste to Michigan, not because it is safe, but because it is politically and economically convenient. They do not want it in their own backyard, so they sell the problem to us. Additionally, other states have enacted legislation that prohibits certain types of radioactive waste disposal within their state, while we continue to bid on it. We must voice our concerns.
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Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a Michigan resident deeply concerned about the continued import of hazardous and radioactive waste into our state.
I know you’ve included proposals like increased tipping fees in past budget plans - and I appreciate your leadership in trying to address these issues. But when these proposals are bundled with larger, complex policies, it becomes too easy for them to get lost or blocked entirely.
This issue needs to be treated as its own priority. We need standalone attention to how we handle hazardous and radioactive waste - real safeguards that protect Michigan from becoming a dumping ground for other states.
I’m asking you to push for a full public review of radioactive waste policies, more transparency, and meaningful limits on what Michigan accepts from elsewhere. Our communities deserve updated protections, not outdated systems that put our health and environment at risk.
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Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a resident deeply concerned about the growing volume of radioactive and hazardous waste entering Van Buren Township.
As Township Supervisor, you’ve played a central role in approving the expansion of landfill operations here. Those decisions are now having serious implications - especially as radioactive waste from out-of-state is being delivered into our community.
We need your leadership now more than ever - not to maintain the status quo, but to help correct the course. This is a pivotal moment for the Township to show that it protects its residents, not just facilitates contracts.
I’m urging you to:
• Publicly address the long-term risks associated with these waste shipments when placed in a densely populated area such as Van Buren Township
• Push for a pause on all out-of-state radioactive waste deliveries
• Demand a new public review process that prioritizes health, transparency, and community input
We recognize your influence in shaping what happens here. Please use that influence to stand with the people of Van Buren Township.
Our safety and future depend on it.
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Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a Michigan resident deeply concerned about the continued import of hazardous and radioactive waste into our state.
Michigan communities have long trusted EGLE to serve as a guardian of our environment and public health — but when it comes to hazardous waste regulation, that trust is wearing thin.
For years, EGLE has aligned itself with landfill operators, facilitating permits and expansions with little scrutiny and virtually no community voice. Rather than stepping back to examine whether these policies serve Michigan residents, the agency has operated inside a framework built to enable business as usual - not to challenge it.
We’re asking Christine Matlock and the broader EGLE team to reckon with that history and take a new path. The question isn’t whether landfills are following the minimum legal standard - it’s whether those standards are still acceptable given the volume and type of waste now entering our state. That’s where true leadership begins.
We deserve transparency about what is being shipped into our communities, public engagement before decisions are finalized, and regulatory review that goes beyond paperwork. It’s time for EGLE to rise above the role of permit processor and become the critical environmental steward it was meant to be.
We’re not asking for favors - we’re asking for courage, clarity, and a commitment to the people you were hired to protect.
Sample Script:
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a Michigan resident deeply concerned about the continued import of hazardous and radioactive waste into our state.
Michigan has quietly become a leading destination for the nation’s hazardous and radioactive waste. In 2017, over 90% of the waste processed at Michigan Disposal Waste Treatment Plant and Wayne Disposal Inc. came from outside the state. That’s not a projection - that’s a fact.
Today, residents from every corner of Michigan - rural, urban, conservative, progressive - are more informed and engaged than ever before. We’re tracking shipments, showing up in courtrooms, reviewing policies, and asking the right questions.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about responsibility. Clean water, safe soil, and the long-term health of our families must never be treated as partisan concerns.
We are asking all of our state lawmakers to work together - not just across the aisle, but in unity with the people you represent to:
• Strengthen Michigan’s safeguards against out-of-state hazardous and radioactive waste
• Require greater transparency in how waste approvals are made and disclosed
• Revisit outdated policies that have allowed this trend to grow unchecked
The data is clear, and the people are paying attention. We’re not looking for blame - we’re looking for leadership. And we are counting on yours.
Sample Script:
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a Michigan resident deeply concerned about the continued import of hazardous and radioactive waste into our state.
Michigan has quietly become a leading destination for the nation’s hazardous and radioactive waste. In 2017, over 90% of the waste processed at Michigan Disposal Waste Treatment Plant and Wayne Disposal Inc. came from outside the state. That’s not a projection - that’s a fact.
Today, residents from every corner of Michigan - rural, urban, conservative, progressive - are more informed and engaged than ever before. We’re tracking shipments, showing up in courtrooms, reviewing policies, and asking the right questions.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about responsibility. Clean water, safe soil, and the long-term health of our families must never be treated as partisan concerns.
We are asking all of our state lawmakers to work together - not just across the aisle, but in unity with the people you represent to:
• Strengthen Michigan’s safeguards against out-of-state hazardous and radioactive waste
• Require greater transparency in how waste approvals are made and disclosed
• Revisit outdated policies that have allowed this trend to grow unchecked
The data is clear, and the people are paying attention. We’re not looking for blame - we’re looking for leadership. And we are counting on yours.
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