ABOUT REP. REGGIE MILLER:
State Rep. Reggie Miller is serving her first term in Michigan’s 31st House District, which comprises parts of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Prior to her time in the House, she was the Van Buren Township trustee for three terms and worked for 20 years as a courier/documentation specialist for local freight forwarder custom brokers.
She learned the importance of hard work as a young girl and is proud to bring that value to the Michigan Legislature. Rep. Miller was raised by a single mother with very meager means after her father passed away and spent her childhood summers and weekends earning extra money to help her family. She began babysitting kids in her neighborhood when she was 9 years old and landed her first part-time job when she was 14.
She went on to earn her associate degree from Purdue University North Central Indiana and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cleary University in Ann Arbor. Rep. Miller also graduated from MSU’s Michigan Political Leadership Program and completed the Michigan Township Association’s Township Governance Academy as a member of the Van Buren Township board.
Rep. Miller has dedicated much of her adult life to serving those in her community. She was the board liaison for both the Senior Endowment Committee and the Elections Committee, vice president of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority, vice chair of the Public Safety Committee and volunteered to work on the police and library millage proposals.
Her legislative priorities include fighting for Michigan families by combating inflation, repealing the retirement tax, working toward paid family leave, supporting teachers and students by increasing school funding, making schools safer, recruiting and retaining teachers, supporting mental health services for children, and funding universal pre-K for all preschool-aged children. She is also dedicated to advocating for first responders and veterans, expanding access to health care, preserving the environment, and investing in our roads and infrastructure.
ABOUT LISA WOZNIAK:
Lisa’s career spans over two decades of environmental and conservation advocacy in the political arena. She is a nationally- recognized expert in non-profit growth and management and a leader in Great Lakes protections. Lisa is a three-time graduate from the University of Michigan, with a bachelor's degree and two ensuing master's degrees in social work and Education.
Lisa serves a co-host and content partner in 89.1 WEMU's '1st Friday Focus on the Environment.'
RESOURCES:
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and this is the first Friday in October. On the first Friday of every month, we take on an in-depth look at the environmental topics that are important to our quality of life here in our community and in our state. Fittingly, we call it First Friday Focus on the Environment. My content partner and co-host is Lisa Wozniak. I'm David Fair, and, of course, Lisa serves as executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Always a pleasure, Lisa!
Lisa Wozniak: Thanks, Dave! As you may know, Michigan has long been a dumping ground for trash and waste created outside our borders. Whether we like it or not, that's where we're at. Low tipping fees make our state an attractive place for Canada and our neighboring states to ship their waste to our landfills and our storage sites. And sometimes, those shipments are literally toxic. In World War II, it was the Manhattan Project that led to development of atomic weapons that were dropped on Japan. And it has been announced that some of the waste produced from the Manhattan Project is being sent to Wayne Disposal in Belleville. And this is a facility owned by Republic Services. That area of Wayne County is represented by 31st District State Representative Reggie Miller. And this issue has really caught her attention. Representative Miller, thank you so much for making time to join us today!
Rep. Reggie Miller: Oh, sure! It's a pleasure!
David Fair: You're a Democrat from Van Buren Township. But I imagine the alarm bells this situation rings resonate across all party lines. What are you hearing from your constituents?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Well, the residents became very angry in learning that this was coming in. And quite simply, the residents of my district will not tolerate hazardous radioactive waste being transported from out-of-state. And Congresswoman Debbie Dingell understood how residents felt. And she put together a town hall where over 400 people attended, so they'd have a voice. Residents did not hold back. They were very angry about this. And I listened to them and I stood with them. And I introduced House Bill 5923 to ban radioactive waste from coming into Michigan. And I don't accept the notion that there are allegedly safe--so-called safe--levels of ways to dispose of radioactive materials near our neighborhoods that are safe.
Lisa Wozniak: So, I think it's a really, really good point. And I think it's important to talk about the different levels or classifications of radioactive waste. What are we talking about, particularly in this situation?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Well, it's low-level radioactive waste. But even at being low levels, it doesn't matter. What rate are we allowing for this to come in? I don't think any level is worth the health and well-being of our constituents. You know, to be honest with you, New York banned low-level radioactive waste. So, why would it be okay to put it on semis and ship it into Michigan during the winter? No amount of money that Michigan will receive is worth the risk. Period.
David Fair: Our First Friday Focus on the Environment conversation with 31st District State Representative Reggie Miller continues on 89 one WEMU. The Army Corps of Engineers is actually responsible for what happens with this waste, and it says it's selected Wayne Disposal because it is licensed and equipped to handle this kind of waste. But fact of the matter is the facility already takes in toxic waste in other forms: medical waste, construction waste, waste from auto manufacturers and other sources. Because of the affiliation to the Manhattan Project, do you think the reaction is being amplified or perhaps even a little overblown?
Rep. Reggie Miller: No, I don't think that that there is overreaction. The best of safeguards can still fail, and the residents and communities of the 31st District is far too important for me not to take a definite action to ban this material from being disposed of in our backyards. You have to keep in mind that this facility has been there a long time, as you said, but it is now close to a middle school. We have a park just not even a mile away, and there's residents around the area. So, no. They can say that it's safe, and they have. But, again, it's not worth the risk.
Lisa Wozniak: So, Representative Miller, there's obviously a lot of conversation underway about this. And your legislation, which you have noted is House Bill 5923, is proposing a ban on accepting hazardous waste into, as I understand it, existing storage and disposal facilities in Michigan. Does this have legs? And if it does, where would all the waste going into this facility go? If not to Michigan, where would it go? And what would we do with the rest of the hazardous waste that's being put there right now?
Rep. Reggie Miller: So, you have to look at that we create our own waste. Yes, we understand that manufacturing creates it. Also, hospitals create it. And that will be addressed. But to take it from out-of-state, no. That shouldn't be allowed.
David Fair: As you well know, there is a web of federal and state regulations that cover these materials and the manner in which the waste is both managed and stored. And it's all quite complex. Do you think or are you working with Congresswoman Dingell or other federal representatives that might put into place a federal depository for such waste, so that all states have a common place to send it?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Yes. I have talked to Congresswoman Dingell on several occasions about this. But I think we can still be able to avoid certain snags and move forward on having a better state law. And also, we can do better at the federal law.
David Fair: We were talking with State Representative Reggie Miller on 89 one WEMU's First Friday Focus on the Environment. I'm David Fair. And the other voice you hear is that of my co-host, Lisa Wozniak from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Lisa Wozniak: So, let's talk about what might be possible in Lansing, given that we're in the throes of an election, and the Legislature is not scheduled to meet very often between now and the 5th of November. What do you anticipate happening either in the here and now or in the post-election, lame duck session on this issue?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Sure. So, you know a bill has to go through the process, and you have to also get it through a committee. And that takes planning. And time is not on our side right here. But we're hoping that we will get help and support from leadership here. And I'm cautiously optimistic. We're doing everything we can to see if we can't push this more quickly through the process. But again, we still have conversations and negotiations to go through. I can't make any promises, but I am cautiously optimistic. And yes, it could be. And it is in the throes of a lame duck session. That's hard to say right now, though. I'm doing everything on my end to push it as much as I can. This is a common sense piece of legislation, and I welcome bipartisan support to ensure Michiganders' safety.
David Fair: I hate to sound cynical, but sometimes, people don't put common sense together in the same sentence as politics. And the waste industry does have a strong lobbying arm. It is profitable. It creates jobs. It is a contributor to Michigan's economy. How will that be weighed in drafting the legislation that can pass?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Again, I'm going back to risk and safety. And, yes, they have strong lobbyists. And, yes, that is something we will have to work through. But there's no amount of money worth the risk.
Lisa Wozniak: So, what do you think that concerned members of the public can do right now, if not about these shipments, then about the future of how we deal with hazardous and radioactive waste in the state of Michigan?
Rep. Reggie Miller: Sure. They could reach out to all of the state representatives on also the Senate side as well, and voice their concerns and send emails and call these offices and let them know how you feel about this. And I will say we will have support on the Senate side. Darren Camilleri is also working with us on this issue as well. And we do have a backup plan if we're not able to get a complete ban on this. And our backup plan is to raise the tipping fees so high that will discourage any out-of-state waste being sent here.
David Fair: Well, Representative Miller, I'd like to thank you for the time today. We will be following along as the story continues to develop.
Rep. Reggie Miller: Yes, absolutely!
David Fair: Another conversation for another day. That is 31st District State Representative Reggie Miller. She's a Democrat from Van Buren Township. For more information on our discussion today, pay a visit to our website at wemu.org. Lisa Wozniak--she's the executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and my co-host for this monthly conversation series we call First Friday Focus on the Environment. Thank you, Lisa! And we'll see you on November 1st!
Lisa Wozniak: Thank you, Dave! Thank you, Representative Miller! I look forward to our next conversation!
David Fair: I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR Station. It's 89 one WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.
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