On August 20, Bloomberg Businessweek published an analysis of public records from more than 100 landfills in 20 states. Their review found that 20 landfills, including Arbor Hills, have reported or requested permission to operate with gas well temperatures of 170°F or higher. These elevated temperatures can destroy a landfill's pollution-control liners, trigger catastrophic slope failures, increase foul leachate sevenfold, and release airborne carcinogens such as benzene. 

The Air Quality Division AQD of EGLE conducted a compliance review of air pollution regulations at the Arbor Hills Landfill in June 2026. The review included a site inspection, records review, and a Surface Emission Monitoring (SEM) survey. One violation notice was issued, and several troubling findings were documented. 

The survey information is public but difficult for most residents to access and interpret because it is highly technical. The Conservancy Initiative is publishing this review to highlight key findings in plain English. We believe the community, including Washtenaw County leadership, must understand these findings as they consider GFL’s proposal to construct a New Landfill adjacent to the existing facility. 

Washtenaw County is already encircled by numerous long‑lived landfills. Within roughly 50 miles, there are 16 active facilities with about 13 years of permitted capacity remaining. Importantly, the state’s capacity figures reflect only space currently permitted by EGLE and exclude proposed expansions. Most of these sites are owned and operated by highly profitable corporations that are planning to increase capacity—not wind down operations. Several landfills, including Pine Tree Acres and McGill Road Landfill, are actively seeking permits to expand.

Over the next 6–8 months, Washtenaw County will take the critical steps to approve or deny the proposed New Landfill north of Six Mile Road. This post provides residents with publicly available information on upcoming Materials Management Planning (MMP) Committee meetings, public comment opportunities, and how these fit into the decision timeline. 

Since 2023, independent testing by The Conservancy Initiative has repeatedly found PFOS contamination in stormwater flowing from Arbor Hills into a Johnson Creek tributary. EGLE cited the landfill for this issue back in 2021, yet the problem persists.

From 2022–2024, Michigan landfills took in about 10.3 million tons of waste from Canada. In that same period, Arbor Hills accepted about 6.1 million tons of waste from all sources.

On March 25, 2026, an operator at GFL's Arbor Hills Landfill intentionally bypassed the facility's PFAS pretreatment system for four hours to perform unscheduled maintenance. This action released a highly concentrated "slug discharge" of untreated leachate into the Northville Sanitary Sewer, with PFOS levels far exceeding allowable limits. The slug discharge was heading to the Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority (YCUA).

This blog post reviews Salem Township’s financial position. The Township has some of the lowest tax rates in Southeast Michigan. Based on our review of the Township’s financial statements, the Township is well prepared for the shutdown of Arbor Hills and should not need to raise taxes when the landfill stops accepting trash.

Sometimes the truth hurts. But the truth is exactly what county officials and the public need before they make an irreversible decision to add a NEW LANDFILL on top of an operator already struggling to control PFAS at its existing site. Here is the truth that needs to be considered.  

The Arbor Hills Landfill is a significant source of PFAS contamination in southeast Michigan, yet little is being done to stop the pollution. At the same time, Washtenaw County is considering whether to let the landfill's owner, Green for Life (GFL), build a NEW LANDFILL just north of Arbor Hills.