GFL's Claimed Investments at Arbor Hills
GFL Claim - GFL reports it has invested millions of dollars in upgrades and improvements at the Arbor Hills Landfill.
Reality - While GFL has made significant investments at Arbor Hills, many of these expenditures were not voluntary upgrades; they were made to resolve violations, reduce penalties, or respond to sustained community pressure.
Examples include the Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) plant, perimeter air monitors, an air monitor at Ridge Wood Elementary School, increased surface-emission monitoring (including drone use), enhanced gas well monitoring, the household hazardous waste center, cleaning of stormwater ponds, and several other smaller projects.
These measures should not be treated as bragging points; they were required for GFL to comply with existing environmental regulations and enforcement actions.
Location of the Proposed NEW LANDFILL
GFL Claim - GFL has reported to the Washtenaw County Commissioners that the proposed NEW LANDFILL will be farther from existing Northville neighborhoods and will add only approximately 10 years of capacity to the site.
Reality - The Conservancy Initiative strongly disagrees with GFL's characterization of the project.
GFL's statements are misleading and omit important facts. Based on GFL's own drawing submitted to EGLE, the proposed NEW LANDFILL would be approximately 1,900 feet from the nearest residence in the Steeplechase neighborhood, while the existing landfill is approximately 2,200 feet from the nearest homes in Northville Ridge. These distances alone do not tell the whole story, because GFL owns additional property to the east of the proposed NEW LANDFILL footprint, and landfill operations (truck traffic, litter, gulls, noise, lights, etc.) will affect the entire property, not just the waste footprint. <View GFL NEW LANDFILL Drawing>
GFL's property line at the site of the proposed NEW LANDFILL is only about 1,000 feet from the nearest homes. Historically, GFL will likely seek to expand the NEW LANDFILL footprint to the east and north if this proposal passes. It is very misleading for GFL to suggest to residents who moved in expecting the existing landfill to have a limited life, that this NEW LANDFILL is somehow farther away or less impactful. If the NEW LANDFILL is approved, the Nommunity should expect ongoing efforts to expand.
See the location of the proposed NEW LANDFILL below.
Figure 1 – The proposed NEW LANDFILL is not farther from residences than the existing Arbor Hills Landfill
Proposed NEW LANDFILL: ~1,900 ft to nearest residence
GFL property line: ~1,000 ft to nearest residence
Existing landfill: ~2,200 ft to nearest residence