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On Friday, October 23, 2020, Attorney General Dana Nessel in her comments announcing the Advanced Disposal lawsuit said: “The operator of Arbor Hills landfill has continually demonstrated a blatant disregard for the very serious concerns raised by so many community members around this area and in the state. This site has been a public nuisance for years and the potential threat to the health of nearby residents we believe to be quite significant. In this juncture, legal action is clearly a necessity and my office will support EGLE’s enforcement efforts so that our residents’ health and natural resources are not subjected to the hazardous pollution created by this landfill.”
The Conservancy Initiative (TCI) is most appreciative of the Attorney General’s strong statements and action, as this should ultimately force the Arbor Hills landfill into compliance with environmental regulations. It simply cannot be overstated, that this lawsuit gives our residents tremendous hope for a better tomorrow.
It is noteworthy to mention that TCI created and maintains The Odor Report which was instrumental in showing the impact of the landfill through objective data collection and automated notification. The Odor Report helped TCI provide crucial data points to EGLE and the Attorney General.
Ultimately, there were many stakeholders who were involved in bringing this issue/lawsuit forward, but none more important, than those of you who have willingly supported TCI and our collective initiatives.
So, on behalf of the volunteer TCI Board, a “heartfelt thank you” to all of you who, over the years have:
spoken up and continue to diligently report ongoing odors/emissions
participated in various Townhall, Board of Trustees, and City Council meetings
attended Legislative hearings
attended local political party meetings
contacted local and state politicians
participated in legislative “coffee hours”
contacted the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) directly
participated in the ‘Landfill Working Group’
contacted ‘Advanced Disposal’ directly
circulated and/or signed petitions
participated in the ‘Postcard Campaign’
written letters to the editor
initiated action at local school boards and PTA’s
spoken up at HOA meetings
conducted fundraisers
distributed leaflets/flyers
spoken to election candidates
participated in media interviews
spread the message via Nextdoor and other social media
made financial contributions
voted for environmentally-minded candidates
We are immensely grateful for all of your efforts and your ongoing support – you should be proud that our collective actions/community activism have led to this most significant outcome.
As we look forward to the future, the reality is that the monstrous Arbor Hills Landfill is nearing its capacity and the day is fast approaching when a potential new landfill and/or landfill expansion will be discussed. The lawsuit will not prevent the landfill from requesting a landfill expansion once compliance is achieved. For this very reason, NOW is the time to be ever more alert and vigilant.
Therefore, The Conservancy Initiative will continue our efforts to coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders and take a leading role to work with and implore our lawmakers to modify state regulations to make the siting of landfills a ‘regional decision’ as opposed to a ‘county decision.’
TCI is respectful of your past support and asks for your continued support as we continue this important journey - as always, we also ask you to kindly consider a financial contribution to help support our efforts to enact legislative changes that would serve to protect our communities from any future landfill expansion.
Pictured on October 23, 2020: Northville Township Supervisor, Robert Nix, The Conservancy Initiative President, Ralph Lassel, Attorney General, Dana Nessel, State Representative, Matt Koleszar
Thank You,
The Conservancy Initiative