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Detroit Suburbs Sue to Try to Stop the Shipment of Radioactive Soil From New York

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Wednesday, September 18, 2024

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Communities near a suburban Detroit landfill are suing to try to stop the shipment of World War II-era radioactive soil from New York state.The lawsuit filed Monday in Wayne County court follows a tense town hall meeting and claims by elected officials, including two members of Congress, that they were in the dark about plans to bring truckloads to a landfill in Van Buren Township, roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Detroit, through the end of the year.“The Michigan public will no longer tolerate Wayne County being the nation's dumping ground of choice for a wide range of hazardous materials,” according to the lawsuit.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is managing the project, has said the Michigan site is the closest licensed disposal facility that can take the material. Belleville, Romulus, Canton Township and Van Buren Township are asking for an injunction halting the deliveries. The lawsuit says area fire officials do not have a strategy or equipment to respond if problems occur at the landfill.Critics also want time to weigh in on whether Republic Services, which operates the site, should be granted a new state operating license. The Phoenix-based company had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.The waste is described as low-level radioactive leftovers from the Manhattan Project, a secret government project to develop atomic bombs during World War II and featured in the 2023 movie “Oppenheimer.”WIVB-TV reported in August that contaminated soil was being moved from Lewiston, New York. The TV station posted a photo of an enormous white bag that resembled a burrito, one of many that would make the trip. State environmental regulators, speaking at a Sept. 4 public meeting, said there was no requirement that the public be informed ahead of time.“As a regulator, the state doesn’t have any concerns for this material from a health and safety standpoint,” T.R. Wentworth II, manager of Michigan's Radiological Protection Section, told the Detroit Free Press. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - July 2024

Communities near a suburban Detroit landfill are suing to try to stop the shipment of World War II-era radioactive soil from New York state

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Communities near a suburban Detroit landfill are suing to try to stop the shipment of World War II-era radioactive soil from New York state.

The lawsuit filed Monday in Wayne County court follows a tense town hall meeting and claims by elected officials, including two members of Congress, that they were in the dark about plans to bring truckloads to a landfill in Van Buren Township, roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Detroit, through the end of the year.

“The Michigan public will no longer tolerate Wayne County being the nation's dumping ground of choice for a wide range of hazardous materials,” according to the lawsuit.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is managing the project, has said the Michigan site is the closest licensed disposal facility that can take the material.

Belleville, Romulus, Canton Township and Van Buren Township are asking for an injunction halting the deliveries. The lawsuit says area fire officials do not have a strategy or equipment to respond if problems occur at the landfill.

Critics also want time to weigh in on whether Republic Services, which operates the site, should be granted a new state operating license. The Phoenix-based company had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.

The waste is described as low-level radioactive leftovers from the Manhattan Project, a secret government project to develop atomic bombs during World War II and featured in the 2023 movie “Oppenheimer.”

WIVB-TV reported in August that contaminated soil was being moved from Lewiston, New York. The TV station posted a photo of an enormous white bag that resembled a burrito, one of many that would make the trip.

State environmental regulators, speaking at a Sept. 4 public meeting, said there was no requirement that the public be informed ahead of time.

“As a regulator, the state doesn’t have any concerns for this material from a health and safety standpoint,” T.R. Wentworth II, manager of Michigan's Radiological Protection Section, told the Detroit Free Press.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos You Should See - July 2024

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Crocodile made famous by Steve Irwin ‘wrongfully arrested’ and should be returned to wild, traditional owners say

Exclusive: ‘Old Faithful’ was captured after Queensland authorities deemed him ‘a problem crocodile’, but Rinyirru Aboriginal Corporation says the government is mistakenGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTraditional owners have called on the Queensland environment minister to return an iconic saltwater crocodile to the wild, arguing his capture was a “wrongful arrest” – but that his case could prove “a landmark” in redefining consultation with First Nations people and the management of crocodiles.Rinyirru (Lakefield) Aboriginal Corporation chair, Alwyn Lyall, wrote to the environment minister, Andrew Powell, on Friday saying the removal of a crocodile longer than 4 metres, known as “Old Faithful”, from Rinyirru – or Lakefield national park – last month was based on a “flawed and outdated” test of his behaviour and highlighted “a bigger problem in how crocodiles are managed”. Continue reading...

Traditional owners have called on the Queensland environment minister to return an iconic saltwater crocodile to the wild, arguing his capture was a “wrongful arrest” – but that his case could prove “a landmark” in redefining consultation with First Nations people and the management of crocodiles.Rinyirru (Lakefield) Aboriginal Corporation chair, Alwyn Lyall, wrote to the environment minister, Andrew Powell, on Friday saying the removal of a crocodile longer than 4 metres, known as “Old Faithful”, from Rinyirru – or Lakefield national park – last month was based on a “flawed and outdated” test of his behaviour and highlighted “a bigger problem in how crocodiles are managed”.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailThe letter called on the state government to dismantle all crocodile traps and cease removals from the park – described as “Queensland’s Kakadu” – until the problems highlighted in the case of Old Faithful were resolved.The crocodile, which Lyall wrote was about 4.5 metres long, has a distinctive white scar across his belly and jaw and was made famous by Steve Irwin in his 1990s series, when Old Faithful was “hazed” by “The Crocodile Hunter” in an effort to instil fear of humans into the big reptile.Almost 30 years later, the crocodile was captured once again and, this time, removed from Rinyirru on 8 September by wildlife officers. He is being held in a government facility in Cairns, more than 250km south, awaiting transfer to a crocodile farm.After his removal, the Queensland environment department said they had been monitoring Old Faithful due to reports from the public and observed him “displaying concerning behaviour” in the prized barramundi fishing hole on the Normanby River that has been his territory for decades. So, the department said, the crocodile was “removed to ensure public safety”.Old Faithful is being held at a government facility in Cairns after his removal from the wild. Rangers also removed a smaller saltwater crocodile, between 3metres and 3.5m metres long. The department said the decision to remove both crocodiles was made after consultation with traditional owners.But in his letter, Lyall wrote that “key information” was “withheld” from traditional owners by the department during that consultation in what he now believes was “the hope of gaining our approval and expediting the removal process for their own agenda”.“We have reason to believe that Old Faithful was not the crocodile targeted for removal and that the animal reported by the public as the ‘problem crocodile’ was the smaller, emaciated crocodile, also caught during the trapping process,” Lyall wrote in a statement.“Our board have engaged with many stakeholders and we strongly believe Old Faithful was caught as a wrongful arrest.”The Kuku Yalanji man wrote that the “simulated fishing test” where a crocodile is lured with bait was “designed to elicit the behaviour needed to warrant removal” and likened it to “constantly throwing bananas at a cassowary at Etty Bay until it feeds, or kicking a dingo on K’gari until it bites”.“If you throw a barramundi out on a piece of rope and drag it back in and throw it out again and drag it back in and throw it out … You’re gonna get that crocodile’s attention sooner or later,” Lyall said.The Rinyirru Aboriginal Corporation chair said that big crocodiles like Old Faithful were a major tourist drawcard – but the attraction had proved a double-edged sword.While some were “just happy to see that crocodile on the bank”, others wanted the crocodile “right in front of them”.“If all of these people are feeding these crocodiles so they can take a photo of it, it makes that crocodile become lazy … it depends on hand outs,” he said. “Then our iconic crocodiles become the problem, because they are just sitting there waiting to be fed.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Breaking News AustraliaGet the most important news as it breaksPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion“I find that to be very unfair – I think more onus should be coming back to the visitors that come into the park”.Lyall said he believed the department was “eyeing off” another three big crocodiles from Rinyirru as a result of the behaviour of visitors and the standard of tests used to determine if a crocodile was “a problem”.“For that reason, our board have asked the Queensland government to halt any further removals and to dismantle traps currently set in the park until a better plan is developed,” he wrote.Lyall wrote that the Rinyirru corporation’s board had engaged crocodile scientists emeritus professor Gordon Grigg and Dr and were advised that a captured crocodile could be returned to the wild and that there was precedent for it being done.“Old Faithful could be 80 or 100 years old – he deserves to live out his life in peace,” Lyall wrote.“We are asking that Old Faithful be returned home. He doesn’t belong to the Queensland government. He belongs to Rinyirru, and Rinyirru belongs to him.”The Environmental Defenders Office, acting on behalf of advocacy group Community Representation of Crocodiles (Croc), has requested and is awaiting a statement of reasons from the department to explain Old Faithful’s removal.A department spokesperson responded to questions with a statement saying “public safety is our top priority” and that the department “extensively monitored the crocodile after reports from the public raising safety concerns”.“We understand people were using food to lure the animal from the water to take photos,” the spokesperson said. “Habituating crocodiles is detrimental to the animal and dangerous for people.“The crocodile was displaying repeated and concerning behaviour that was escalating. It was ultimately removed to keep people safe.”

Factbox-Who Is Still Working and Who Has Been Furloughed in the US Government Shutdown?

By Andy SullivanWASHINGTON (Reuters) -Hundreds of thousands of U.S. federal workers have been ordered not to report to work, while others have been...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Hundreds of thousands of U.S. federal workers have been ordered not to report to work, while others have been told to stay on the job during the U.S. government shutdown, which started on October 1.Here is an overview of who has been furloughed at major government agencies, based on their shutdown plans.The 2 million active-duty members of the military remain on duty.Roughly 55% of the Defense Department's 740,000 civilian employees have been furloughed, including those involved in training, procurement and administrative support. Civilians working on cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence and logistics are still working.DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITYOnly 5% of the Department of Homeland Security's 271,000 workers have been furloughed, including those involved in research, planning, training, and auditing.Secret Service agents, immigration and border officers, airport security screeners, Coast Guard personnel, and Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency workers remain on the job.About 10% of the Justice Department's 115,000 employees are furloughed, mainly in administrative and policy roles.Prison guards, FBI agents, criminal prosecutors and other front-line law enforcement are required to work.The State Department has furloughed 62% of its 27,000 employees, including those awarding new grants and contracts.All U.S. embassies remain open, and those working on visas and passports will continue to do their jobs. All 74,000 employees of the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service remain on the job through Tuesday, October 7. It is not clear how many would be furloughed after that.Outside of the IRS, Treasury would continue to distribute Social Security checks and tax refunds and service the nation's $37.5 trillion debt, while it would cease other duties, such as audits and government-wide accounting. Treasury does not specify how many non-IRS employees would be furloughed. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESRoughly 41% of HHS's 78,000 employees are furloughed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where 2 out of 3 workers have been furloughed, is continuing its core outbreak response, but is not providing guidance to states and has paused much of its research and surveillance work.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has furloughed half of its employees and has paused much of its oversight work.The Food and Drug Administration, where 14% of employees are furloughed, continues safety-critical work like product recalls and import screening, but has paused research and is not accepting most new drug and medical device submissions.The National Institutes of Health, which has furloughed 3 out of 4 of its workers, has paused its research activity and is not issuing new grants, but continues patient care. The Commerce Department has furloughed 81% of its 43,000 employees.Employees of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration will continue weather forecasting, fisheries enforcement and other safety-critical activities, but 9 out of 10 NOAA employees will be furloughed, including those involved in research, grants and contracts and animal/laboratory maintenance.Most employees at the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis have been furloughed, which halts surveys, statistical releases and economic data publication.The 14,000 employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will remain on the job until funding from reserves and fees runs out.SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATIONMost Social Security workers are still on the job, with only 12% of the agency's 52,000 employees furloughed. That could change if the shutdown drags on, the agency says.Some workers at field offices and those handling benefit applications and appeals have been furloughed, while those who handle benefit payments are still working.DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONRoughly 23% of the Transportation Department's 54,000 workers are furloughed, including those involved in research, policy and regulations.Air traffic controllers, safety inspectors and those overseeing highway and transit funds continue to work.NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONNASA has furloughed 83% of its 18,000 employees, including those involved in research, public affairs, grants and contracts. Those involved with the International Space Station and satellites remain on the job.DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURESome 49% of USDA's 86,000 employees have been furloughed, including those handling grants and loans and those producing statistical reports.Food safety inspectors, Forest Service firefighters, workers responding to disease or pest outbreaks, and workers overseeing nutrition programs are still working.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYThe EPA has been hit hard by the shutdown, with 89% of the agency's 15,000 workers on furlough, including those involved in permitting, research and civil enforcement.Security guards, criminal investigators, and those involved in emergency response are still working.Roughly 87% of the Department of Education's 2,450 employees have been furloughed, including those involved in regulations, new grants, and civil rights investigations.Workers who distribute student aid and grants to low-income schools are still working.All but 5% of the FTC's workers have been furloughed, including those working on consumer protection investigations and antitrust review. Attorneys and investigators involved in ongoing litigation will keep working.SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONLikewise, 91% of the SEC's 4,300 employees have been furloughed, including those reviewing corporate filings, oversight of investment advisers, and routine enforcement.Market monitoring teams and those handling urgent fraud matters will continue to work.SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONRoughly 24% of SBA's 6,200 employees have been furloughed, including those who approve new loans and work on entrepreneurial development. Workers who handle existing loans and disaster loans continue to work.FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSIONSome 81% of the FCC's 1,300 workers would be furloughed, including those handling consumer protection and complaints, licensing services, equipment authorization and spectrum management. Those involved in spectrum auctions and critical security and technology would remain on the job. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRSThe VA is largely insulated from a shutdown as most of its budget does not come from annual appropriations. Only 3.2% of the agency's 462,000 workers have been furloughed, including those involved in research, communications, and oversight. Medical workers and benefits administrators remain on the job. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTRoughly 67% of HUD's 6,100 employees are furloughed, including those issuing new grants and those involved in fair-housing investigations.Those handling Federal Housing Administration insurance and ongoing rental-assistance payments continue to work.Roughly 75% of the Labor Department's 13,000 workers are furloughed, including those involved in economic data reports and civil rights enforcement.Those involved in workplace safety, workers' compensation payments and unemployment insurance continue to work.Some 63% of the Energy Department's 15,500 employees are furloughed, including those involved in grant and research work. Those working on nuclear security, cybersecurity, and power safety continue to work.DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORThe Interior Department has furloughed 50% of its 58,000 employees, including maintenance and customer service workers at the National Park Service, fish biologists, and those handling new energy or land use permits.Teachers and other workers at the 55 schools run by the Bureau of Indian Education are still on the job. Law enforcement officers at national parks, wildlife refuge rangers, firefighters, and dam and power operators continue working(Reporting by Andy SullivanEditing by Bill Berkrot)Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

Fiery Senate exchange reveals investigation into coal firm allegedly clearing endangered greater glider habitat

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called environment department bureaucrats ‘weak’ - though later withdrew the remarkGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian government officials are investigating whether a coal mining company is putting threatened greater gliders and koalas at risk by illegally clearing bushland in central Queensland without approval under federal law.The revelation came in a fiery Senate estimates hearing in which the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticised the Albanese government for not doing more to stop the clearing and described environment department bureaucrats as “weak” – an allegation she later withdrew. Continue reading...

Australian government officials are investigating whether a coal mining company is putting threatened greater gliders and koalas at risk by illegally clearing bushland in central Queensland without approval under federal law.The revelation came in a fiery Senate estimates hearing in which the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticised the Albanese government for not doing more to stop the clearing and described environment department bureaucrats as “weak” – an allegation she later withdrew.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailOfficials told the hearing there was an “active investigation” into the alleged clearing, which was raised by Queensland Conservation Council in June. Guardian Australia reported in July that the council had obtaining drone footage that appeared to show large areas of cleared bushland at the site of Magnetic South’s Gemini coalmine near Dingo.In a letter to the department and environment minister, Murray Watt, the council alleged Magnetic South had cleared about 200 hectares of greater glider habitat and said it had “urgent concerns” that construction of the mine might have begun without the company first referring its plan for assessment under national environmental law.On Wednesday, officials said the department had inspected the mine site in August and were investigating whether there had been a breach of the law or if there had been a significant impact on threatened species, such as the glider and koala.Hanson-Young asked the officials whether the coal mining company was continuing to work at the site while the investigation was being carried out.A department representative responded “I believe so”, but took the question on notice to confirm the details. They added the company did have authorisation for some activities at the site.Hanson-Young asked if the department had asked the company to stop clearing while the investigation was under way or taken other steps, such as using a ministerial power to call the project in for assessment or seeking an injunction.Officials said they were still considering the clearing allegations and were required to work through the investigation.They said there were no provisions under “compliance enforcement obligations to compel a company to stop” and this was something that was being looked at through the reform process for Australia’s nature laws. They added a court “would not think favourably on an injunction until an investigation has been completed”.Greater glider habitat may be being illegally cleared in central Queensland by a coal mining company. Photograph: Josh BowellIn a heated exchanged, Hanson-Young then raised concerns that a separate investigation of alleged illegal clearing by another coal company – Vitronite – in Queensland was still not complete almost a year since it commenced.Officials said the department was acting on both cases as it was required to under national environment laws.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Breaking News AustraliaGet the most important news as it breaksPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionHanson-Young called the department “weak” for not taking steps to prevent further work at the Vitronite site.“You could have called for an injunction to stop the work on Vitronite,” she said.“I think we’ve just explained why we haven’t,” the department said.“Because you’re weak,” Hanson-Young responded.The senator withdrew the remark after a request from Watt. The department said its officers were doing their jobs and meeting their “obligations under the law as it currently exists”.Guardian Australia has sought comment from Magnetic South. The company has previously said it took its environmental obligations seriously and was committed to ensuring its operations were carried out in line with federal and state laws.“Magnetic South works constructively with regulatory authorities and prides itself on an uncompromising approach to project delivery within the conditions of its EA [state environmental authority] and mining lease,” they said in July.

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