For Immediate Release
Northville, MI (October 15, 2019)
Executive Summary - Announcement
The Conservancy Initiative, a non-profit organization also known as Stop Arbor Hills, is announcing a new web-site to communicate developments with respect to the Arbor Hills Landfill. The Conservancy Initiative (TCI) believes the landfill represents the greatest potential threat to the property values and to the quality of life for Northville Township and surrounding community residents. The goal of the web-site is to improve communications with the community by supplementing and providing links to existing information sources (e.g. - EGLE’s Arbor Hills Landfill Web-site, Northville Township Web-site, etc.), providing timely community updates and presenting odor complaint data as a measurement of progress.
Arbor Hills Landfill, one of the largest landfills in the Midwest, had requested permission from Washtenaw County for a new landfill site, north of the existing site in 2015. This request was withdrawn in 2016, due to significant opposition of neighboring communities, but it is likely to be resubmitted in the near future.
The landfill operators, Advanced Disposal Services (landfill owner/operator) and Fortistar (landfill gas plant owner/operator) have been issued multiple environmental compliance violations by the State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE formerly MDEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Both companies are currently the subject of escalated enforcement actions.[1],[2]
We encourage all residents to visit and subscribe to the web-site to receive regular updates. The web-site is being made available as a communication and information tool. The web-site is new and on-going improvements are planned. Your constructive comments are welcomed through the comments section on the web-site.
If you smell something - report it. Valid odor/emission complaints are a very useful tool in this process. Please continue to make odor/emission complaints using TCI’s on-line reporting system (https://theodorreport.com/) whenever you smell an objectionable odor.
Web-site - https://conservancyinitiative.org/
Landfill Odors/Emissions and Compliance Concerns
The Arbor Hills Landfill, owned by Advanced Disposal Services, is one of the largest landfills in the Midwest and has an estimated additional life of approximately 8 years.[3] Overall landfill capacity in Michigan is estimated at over 25 years. TCI feels strongly there is no need for additional landfill capacity in the Northville area and the environmental compliance record of the current operators certainly does not warrant a landfill expansion permit.
The landfill has been the cause for over 3,000 community odor/emission complaints over the past 18 months. The web-site contains several graphical representations which demonstrate that even though the landfill has proposed and completed numerous projects designed to reduce community odors/emissions, the odors/emissions continue.
The Conservancy intends to regularly publish odor/emission complaint statistics on the web-site as a Score Card of the landfill’s performance. The web-site is intended to be a tool to share the on-going performance of the landfill with the community as well as community leaders and media.
The Conservancy Initiative strongly believes that a properly operated landfill shouldn’t create an inordinate amount of odor/emission complaints from the neighboring communities. A landfill which complies with the applicable environmental regulations (including 40 CFR 60 Subparts A and WWW, 40 CFR 63 Subpart A and AAAA, Michigan 451 Part 115) shouldn’t have these ongoing issues. Unfortunately, these regulations can be very difficult and time consuming for State regulators (EGLE) to enforce. A vocal community, making valid complaints of odors/emissions, has resulted in repeated Violations Notices from EGLE and USEPA. EGLE has dedicated significant resources towards improving legal compliance at the landfill.
EGLE (formerly MDEQ) and USEPA have issued numerous Violations Notices to Advanced Disposal Services and Fortistar. Both companies have on-going enforcement actions with EGLE and USEPA. EGLE (formerly MDEQ) issued at least 9 Violation Notices in 2019 alone. TCI is hopeful a Consent Order is being negotiated that will require many operating improvements and stipulated penalties for any future violations including community odors/emissions.
Fortistar’s (the owner and operator of the landfill gas energy plant) sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have continuously exceeded their permit allowable limits since at least May of 2015. Fortistar has submitted several permit applications requesting an increase to their SO2 limit. The permit requests have all been denied for a lack of required information. During this same time period, the landfill in Riverview, Michigan had a similar problem. The energy company at this site worked quickly to solve the problem by installing equipment to remove the sulfur and paid a significant penalty.
The Conservancy Initiative gave notice to the landfill operators of their intent to sue on April 17, 2019. TCI is awaiting the results of the on-going EGLE/USEPA enforcement settlement negotiations before taking further legal actions.
Landfill Expansion
In 2015 Arbor Hills Landfill requested an expansion to the Landfill. Advanced Disposal owns the property north of Six Mile Road. The request was withdrawn in 2016 in response significant community opposition from residents of Northville Township.
With only approximately 8 years of additional capacity remaining at the current site, the Conservancy expects the landfill will be requesting an expansion again soon.
What can I do?
If you smell something - report it. Valid odor/emission complaints are a very useful tool in this process. Not only does it help us quantify the extent of the problem, but these reports are transmitted directly to the landfill, EGLE and Northville Township leadership. Please continue to make odor/emission complaints using TCI’s on-line reporting system (https://theodorreport.com/) whenever you smell an objectionable odor. Valid complaints (one per household per day when persistent objectionable odors are observed) are also being used to develop Scorecard metrics which will be posted on the web-site.
Be courteous but remain vocal. Attend meetings with community leaders, HOAs, etc. and bring up your concerns. When a settlement is reached with the landfill, a public hearing should be held. Speak up, be heard.
Donations are always appreciated. The Conservancy is comprised of a few volunteers. If you think you can help either monetarily or by volunteering contact one of the trustees.
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[1] DEQ Enforcement Notice to Advanced Disposal Services, January 24, 2019
[2] DEQ Enforcement Notice to Fortistar Methane Group, November 4, 2015
[3] Report of Solid Waste Landfills, October 1, 2017 - September 30, 2018, Prepared by Michigan Department of Environmental Quality