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Cautious Optimism
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Locals hope new landfill ownership will tackle odor issues
By Alex Lundberg | Photos by Bryan Mitchell
Ownership of the landfill on the edge of Plymouth Township has changed hands, giving local municipal and activist group leaders hope that ongoing nuisances arising from the gigantic trash heap will be adequately addressed.
The Arbor Hills landfill was purchased by multistate refuse hauler GFL Environmental. The hope is GFL will deal with odors, wastewater and traffic better than the old owner, Advanced Disposal Services.
Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise has been a frequent critic of the landfill in the past. He said thousands of people in the northwestern corner of Plymouth Township were getting some of the landfill’s breeze. He said it wasn’t just about the smell, either. He has also been particularly vocal about the traffic issues it has caused on township roads as garbage haulers make their way to and from the landfill in Salem Township.
“It’s about the truck traffic and the damage to Five Mile Road,” Heise said. “If you run into congestion at Beck and M-14, it’s probably a stalled garbage hauler.”
Heise noted that GFL already contracts with many local communities and therefore might be a better steward of the landfill.
“I am hoping that GFL will be a better community partner than the previous operators, especially since GFL is the trash hauler for most of the communities in western Wayne County, and many of these communities have contracts expiring with GFL in the years ahead,” Heise said. “GFL will need to be extra responsive and diligent with the Salem landfill.”
Leadership of the anti-Arbor Hills landfill advocacy group The Conservancy Initiative are also cautiously optimistic that new ownership will mean longstanding odor problems are going to be addressed.
“With the sale, we have someone to work with that has the finances to correct the situation,” said TCI board member Dave Horan, a Northville resident.
Fellow board member Dave Drinan echoed that sentiment.
“We’re happy there’s been a deal since it’s been rumored for a year. GFL can’t possibly be worse,” he said, referring to Advanced Disposal Services.
Local residents have been complaining for years about odors coming from the landfill and leachate (water that percolates through landfill) contaminating groundwater. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has written more than 30 violations to the company over the past several years.
The situation came to a head in October when Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced her office was taking official action against Advanced Disposal Services. At a press conference in the shadow of the landfill at Northville Township’s Marv Gans Park, Nessel said the company was going to get their act together, or else.
“If we’re not able to come up with a satisfactory plan, there can be significant financial repercussions,” Nessel said. “You have to comply with the law. If you can’t operate safely, you shouldn’t operate at all.”
Heise attended the press conference, as did other local officials and state lawmakers.
State Rep. Matt Koleszar said he heard a lot of complaints about smells coming from the landfill when he was campaigning door-to-door in 2018. About a year later, when he participated in a joint public meeting with Northville Township leaders and EGLE, almost 350 residents joined in the discussion.
The problem, he said, is that there aren’t effective mechanisms to keep polluters in line. He said he and State Sen. Dayna Polehanki (also at the announcement) introduced legislation in the state house and senate, respectively, to increase the fines and penalties for polluters by a factor of 10. He hopes that raising the cost of the violation will constitute a real deterrent to polluters in the future.
Polehanki said meaningful consequences are necessary, and that means they have to affect a violator’s bottom line to work. “Running a landfill is a lucrative endeavor,” Polehanki said. “A $5,000 fine is not going to touch you. If the penalties are increased as I outlined in my bill, it will put a dent in them.”
“We’ve got to wait and see. We’ve never had a good relationship with the owners of the landfill. They’ve had five or six managers in the past five years, so we’ve never been able to establish a rapport or develop a good working relationship. Hopefully, that’s something that will get better.”
— Dave Horan, The Conservancy Initiative
Nessel said Advanced Disposal could be looking at serious fines.
“If we’re not able to come up with a satisfactory plan, there can be significant financial repercussions, as each violation has a fine attached and there are multiple violations alleged,” Nessel said. “You have to comply with the law. We have compliance or you’re shut down, end of story. If you can’t operate safely, you shouldn’t operate at all.”
Drinan said despite the fact a different company now owns the landfill, the violations written against it still stand.
Drinan said he was concerned that making good on the problems at the landfill will allow the company to put new life into a plan to expand landfill. “I’m worried that they, as a new owner, are going to put on a good face, do a public relations push and try to expand,” he said. “I’m worried they’ll expand and revert to the old practices of the old owners.”
Despite fears of expansion, there’s some room for optimism.
“We’ve got to wait and see,” Horan said. “We’ve never had a good relationship with the owners of the landfill. They’ve had five or six managers in the past five years, so we’ve never been able to establish a rapport or develop a good working relationship. Hopefully, that’s something that will get better.”
GFL did not respond to several inquiries to comment on this story.
