At a recent Salem Township Board of Trustees meeting (September 10, 2024 around the 11:00 mark), the discussion centered around a proposed new landfill north of Six Mile Road. Dave Seegert, the General Manager of GFL's Arbor Hills Landfill, stated the existing landfill has the capacity to operate for five more years. He also confirmed that GFL owns property north of the current landfill and has plans for a new landfill at this site. Seegert pointed out that the approval process for a new landfill could take five years, placing them in a challenging situation.
While lightly joking about the plans for the new landfill, the conversation turned to the topic of waste from Canada. Gary Whittaker, the Salem Township Supervisor, and Seegert emphasized that, despite GFL being a Canadian company, very little waste from Canada enters the Arbor Hills facility.
Windsor Disposal Services waste hauler headed to Arbor Hills
The Conservancy Initiative disagrees with this characterization. We see the trucks, even during COVID restrictions, which prevented us from crossing the border. The charts below show that since GFL took ownership of Arbor Hills, the amount of municipal and commercial waste (MCW) from Canada has increased from zero to as high as 276,000 tons/yr or up to 25% of the MCW accepted at Arbor Hills. During the past three years, the amount of trash accepted from Canada has far exceeded the amount from Washtenaw County. MCW from Washtenaw County, the host county, has decreased since GFL took control of Arbor Hills.
Figure 1 - MCW from Canada in Tons
Figure 2 - MCW from Washtenaw Co. in Tons
Trash from Canada is a significant part of GFL’s business plans at Arbor Hills. We question if trash from Washtenaw County, the host county, has been diverted to other landfills to make room for the trash from Canada.
Data for the chart above was taken from EGLE’s Annual Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan. This data is provided by landfill operators, meaning GFL supplies the information for Arbor Hills.