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July 17, 1996
About 900 people attended a public hearing Tuesday night at Belleville High School.
"Who is protecting us," asked Andy Winnie, president of WE CARE, a citizens group that opposes Wayne Disposal Inc.'s permit to accept PCBs.
"We've had fires, spills and explosions," Winnie said at the hearing. "How many times are we going to allow these mistakes?"
If approved, the site will become the only PCB-licensed landfill in the Midwest.
"This is a safe facility and we're confident that we're eventually going to get our permit," said Dan Gilbert, Wayne Disposal spokesman.
Company officials claim the landfill surpasses state and federal standards. Wayne Disposal also has arranged a $20-million credit and insurance package in case problems develop at the site.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to decide on the permit request within two months.
PCBs -- polychlorinated biphenyls -- once were used in paints, lubricants and other products. They have been linked to cancer and birth defects.