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Summary
The Fall Odor season has begun, and the landfill has a new manager, at least the 5th manager in the past 18 months. The Conservancy Initiative (TCI) offers updates on these topics and remains hopeful a settlement many be near between the landfill and EGLE. We continue to look for avenues to engage community leaders into our cause, but believe our best hope is for the Attorney General to begin legal proceedings. We are open to your comments and suggestions.
Hopefully, your family has been able to enjoy some of the “Pure Michigan” weather at least when the wind is not blowing from Arbor Hills.
Fall Odor Season
The Fall odor season has officially begun, and the single biggest thing Arbor Hills could do to improve its standing in the Northville community would be to dramatically reduce odors during the beautiful weather we normally experience in the Fall. It seems like clockwork that as soon as the evenings cool off a little and we all open our windows, the landfill odors increase.
In the charts below, we explore the relationship between wind direction and odor complaints. When reviewing the charts, it is important to recognize that several Northville Township neighborhoods are directly downwind of the landfill if the wind blows from the West to the South-Southwest. The first radar chart illustrates the wind directions which result in Northville Township neighborhoods being directly downwind from the Arbor Hills odors.
The bar charts show the number of odor complaints entered into The Conservancy Initiative’s (TCI) Odor Complaint system each day from September 1st – 24th. 203 odor complaints were recorded by 10 PM on September 24th.
From September 1st - 4th there were 46 odor complaints. The radar chart below shows the wind direction on these days was mainly from the West to the South Southwest. (i.e. – very conducive for odors in Northville Township subdivisions)
From September 6th through 15th there were virtually no odor complaints. Northville Township enjoyed a marvelous period of “Pure Michigan” weather. The radar chart below shows that the winds during this time period had shifted. The winds were blowing out of the Northeast; away from Northville Township Subdivisions. Nothing had changed at the landfill, only the wind direction.
On the morning of September 16th over 40 odor complaints were very quickly received from a very concentrated group of homes. Remember, this was immediately following a 10-day period with virtually zero odor complaints being made. Obviously, something had changed – it appears it was the wind. This day was especially frustrating as the landfill was contacted but reported they had no issues. They actually reported they had surveyed the neighborhoods and didn’t detect any odors. They went as far as suggesting that a Salem Township resident burning brush about 3 – 4 miles away, not even upwind of the affected neighborhoods, maybe the source of the odor complaints.
The radar chart below shows a very narrow wind direction band, which coincides with the narrow band of odor complaints received on September 16th.
September 17th – 21st the wind direction changed again. The radar chart shows the wind was blowing out of the Northeast during this time period which resulted in virtually no odor complaints.
TCI is not able to complete the analysis of the relationship between the wind direction and odor complaints for September 22nd – 25th at this time as the NOAA weather data is not yet available to be downloaded. Anecdotally, the winds began to blow out of the west on September 22 and continued from a westerly direction until the afternoon of September 25. Odor complaints followed this same pattern.
Below are maps showing the locations of the odor complaints on September 22 – 24th.
Picture Caption
Location of odor complaints on 9-22 (top left), 9-23 (top right), 9-24 (bottom right. Winds were blowing out of the West on 9-22, 9-23, and 9-24
New Landfill Manager
The Conservancy Initiative (TCI) recently learned there is a new manager in charge of landfill operations. Mr. David Seegret has been named the new manager of the landfill. This is at least the 5th Facility Manager in approximately 18 months. According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Seegret has many years of landfill management experience, most recently at a landfill near Columbus, OH. Mr. Seegret is familiar with the Detroit market having worked in the past at the Carleton Farms Landfill in New Boston.
TCI welcomes Mr. Seegret and has reached out to Mr. Seegret. We are hopeful that with new leadership there may be an opportunity to improve communications with the landfill.