In July 2023, Green for Life initiated operations in Cell 6 at the Arbor Hills Landfill, situated dangerously close to Northville Township neighborhoods, near the intersection of Napier and Six Mile Roads. The Conservancy Initiative immediately raised a red flag, expressing concerns about the poor environmental compliance record of Arbor Hills and the potential impact of Cell 6 on the community. Unfortunately, our fears have proven valid.
Since the commencement of operations in July, the number of odor complaints has surged dramatically. To put it into perspective, there were 190 complaints reported from January to June, but this number skyrocketed to a staggering 769 from July to December 15th. It is an alarming trend, and we hold little confidence that it will abate without swift intervention from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Attorney General.
Figure 1 - Cell 6 is closer to Norhville Townshiip neighborhoods located at the Northeast corner of Arbor HIlls
Arbor Hills consistently leads the state in odor complaints year after year. Notably, various landfill companies, including BFI, Republic, Veolia, Advanced Disposal Service, and now Green for Life, have managed Arbor Hills over the past two decades. Each new operator arrives with promises of substantial improvements, yet none of these commitments have materialized.
Figure 2 - Odor Complaints have surged since Cell 6 was started
Environmental enforcement actions have been a recurrent theme at Arbor Hills, with both EGLE and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) taking measures against operators since 2016. Notably, settlements have resulted in fines exceeding $1.5 million and mandated capital improvements totaling over $27 million. Surprisingly, these enforcement actions have been irrespective of the landfill operator. Regulators have diligently worked to enforce state and federal regulations, yet these regulations seem to have minimal impact on recalcitrant companies.
Green for Life has predicted the Arbor Hills Landfill has only six years before it will reach its permitted capacity. Green for Life and its host community, Salem Township, make no secret of their intentions to obtain the permits that will allow the landfill operations to expand (north of Six Mile Road). If these permits are obtained, the noxious odors will continue for the next generation of Northville Township residents.
Take Action
If you are impacted by the excess emissions and noxious odors wafting into our neighborhoods, please contact your elected officials and let them know them know we need EGLE and the Attorney General to take action. Attached is a template for a letter (or email) you can use to send to your elected officials.
An early blog post gave links to the websites of key elected officials. Google search “find my representatives Michigan” to find your State Representative and State Senator.
2024 is an election year. We expect most elected officials will schedule more forums (town halls, coffee hours, etc.) with the community in 2024. Please attend as many of these forums as possible and speak up.
When contacting elected officials please make it clear that this landfill should never be allowed to expand.