Sometimes the truth hurts. But the truth is exactly what county officials and the public need before they make an irreversible decision to add a NEW LANDFILL on top of an operator already struggling to control PFAS at its existing site. Here is the truth that needs to be considered.
The Arbor Hills Landfill is a significant source of PFAS contamination in southeast Michigan, yet little is being done to stop the pollution. At the same time, Washtenaw County is considering whether to let the landfill's owner, Green for Life (GFL), build a NEW LANDFILL just north of Arbor Hills.
GFL likes to say they do not "make or use" PFAS chemicals, and that is technically true—GFL is a waste handler, not a manufacturer. But their responsibility is to contain the PFAS‑contaminated material that comes to Arbor Hills as its final resting place, and on that basic duty, they are failing. A company that cannot control PFAS at an existing landfill should not be entrusted with operating a NEW LANDFILL that will impact our children and grandchildren.
How PFAS escapes Arbor Hills
Thousands of nearby residents, the Rouge River, and Johnson Creek are exposed to PFAS from Arbor Hills through at least two main pathways: stormwater runoff and leachate.
1. Stormwater runoff
Rain and snowmelt that fall on the landfill must be managed so that runoff does not contact PFAS‑containing wastes and carry those "forever chemicals" into nearby streams and wetlands. For more than five years, The Conservancy Initiative (TCI) has documented that Arbor Hills is failing to do this.
Sampling by TCI, by EGLE, and by Arbor Hills' own consultant has repeatedly found illegal concentrations of PFOS in stormwater discharged into a Johnson Creek tributary. This is not an isolated incident – it is continuing daily.
2. Leachate treatment
Leachate is the liquid that percolates through buried waste, picking up PFAS, heavy metals, and other contaminants as it moves through the landfill. Arbor Hills operates an on‑site treatment system that is supposed to reduce (not eliminate) PFAS in leachate before sending it to the Northville Township sewer system and then to the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) wastewater plant for final treatment and discharge to the Rouge River.
YCUA acts as the enforcement authority for industrial wastewater entering its system and has been raising red flags about Arbor Hills for years. YCUA issued Notices of Violation to GFL for exceeding PFAS (specifically PFOS and PFOA) and arsenic limits in its discharge permit on November 11, 2025, and again on January 30, 2026.
In response, GFL asked YCUA for more time to fix its problems and meet PFAS limits. On January 5, 2026, YCUA and GFL signed an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) granting GFL time to complete all upgrades needed to meet permit limits but required completion by December 31, 2026. The ACO requires quarterly progress reports and explicitly preserves YCUA's authority to take additional actions to protect its sewer system, its treatment plant, the environment, and public health.
On February 24, 2026, EGLE issued YCUA a violation notice for exceeding the PFOS concentration limit in treated effluent discharged to the Rouge River. YCUA's investigation traced the cause of that violation back to high PFOS concentrations from the Arbor Hills Landfill. YCUA's treatment process cannot remove PFAS. PFAS concentrations must be treated before entering the YCUA system to allow compliance at the discharge to the Rouge River.
The May 11 "Show Cause" hearing
With violations stacking up, it appears YCUA is preparing to take additional enforcement steps. GFL has been ordered to appear at a closed‑door "Show Cause Hearing" with YCUA on May 11, 2026, where they will be asked to explain why further enforcement should not be taken.
At that hearing, YCUA can consider stronger measures, including fines, to protect the Rouge River and downstream communities. The hearing is not open to the public, but The Conservancy Initiative will file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain any presentations given and to share any new enforcement actions with the community.
What Washtenaw County leaders need to ask
We are sharing this information so Washtenaw County residents understand the real‑world impacts of the Arbor Hills Landfill on water resources and public health. As the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner consider whether to approve a NEW LANDFILL for GFL in the county, they should ask hard questions.
At a minimum, county leaders should be asking:
Why has Arbor Hills been allowed to keep discharging PFAS‑contaminated stormwater to Johnson Creek for years, despite open violations from EGLE and a clear pattern of noncompliance?
Why was Arbor Hills not prepared to meet the more stringent requirements of their new permit – they should have anticipated them.
Why were these serious PFAS and enforcement issues not disclosed in GFL's presentation to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners on February 18, 2026?