Landfill odors have returned to the neighborhoods downwind of the landfill. The Conservancy Initiative has received 63 odor complaints over the first 16 days of January. The odor complaints correlate well with the landfill’s perimeter monitoring station data. When the monitoring stations detected elevated levels of Methane (CH4), community odor complaints were received. Very few complaints are received when CH4 concentrations are below 10 ppm. The odor complaints are valid.
Thank you to the community members who take the time to accurately report odors. Your complaints have triggered follow-ups by EGLE.
To settle environmental enforcement actions, Arbor Hills was forced to install cutting-edge technologies, a perimeter monitoring system to measure emissions, and drones equipped with CH4 detection equipment.
The Conservancy Initiative believes the regularly occurring odors are evidence that GFL cannot properly run the Arbor Hills Landfill odor-free. GFL joins a long list of landfill operators, such as Advanced Disposal System, Veolia, BFI, and Republic, that could not operate Arbor Hills.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It is high time for GFL, Washtenaw County, and Salem Township to abandon the idea of a New Landfill near the Arbor Hills location.
Odor Complaints correlate with emissions
The top chart shows the number of odor complaints. The bottom chart shows the excess emissions detected at the landfill perimeter. When excess emissions are detected (>20 ppm), odor complaints are received. Odor complaints are not received when emissions are low.