The Conservancy Initiative Board of Directors is reaching out to the community surrounding the Arbor Hills Landfill for help. We are looking for involvement from disciplined members, with fresh ideas, willing to assist with our activities.

The Conservancy Initiative learned there was a leachate spill at the Arbor Hills Landfill on Thursday evening, August 4th which resulted in an unknown quantity of leachate being discharged into Johnson Creek. Based on verbal reports, a leachate collection sump pump at the landfill plugged (i.e. – the pump stopped pumping), leachate overflowed into the stormwater collection system and was discharged to Johnson Creek. GFL operating personnel responding to the incident reported the leachate spill (as required) using EGLE’s Pollution Emergency Alert System (PEAS).

The Arbor Hills Landfill has two permitted discharge points (outfalls) which impact Johnson Creek. Both of these permits are expiring and are in the process of being renewed (i.e. – basically new permits issued). The Conservancy Initiative recently submitted comments requesting EGLE add requirements for Arbor Hills to regularly monitor their discharges to Johnson Creek for regulated PFAS[1] chemical concentration. We believe the additional monitoring requirements are warranted due to the widespread PFAS contamination discovered at the site and the Arbor Hills Landfill’s poor environmental compliance record.

During the first 23 days of June, residents downwind of the landfill submitted over 100 valid odor complaints. The odor complaints were mainly the neighborhoods located very near the landfill, Steeple Chase and Northville Ridge. The Perimeter Monitoring System data gave very little indication of excess emissions or noxious odors during this time period (see analysis below). Methane (CH4) concentrations never approached the action level of 40 parts per million (ppm) required in the Settlement Agreement.

This past weekend, beginning on Saturday afternoon, several residents used The Conservancy Initiative’s Odor Reporting system to report an unusual vibration or noise causing vibration in their homes and even rattling windows.

Data from the Perimeter Air Monitoring Station is publicly available on a near real time basis. We have provided a link Perimeter Air Monitoring Station data on the navigation menu of The Conservancy Initiative Website (https://conservancyinitiative.org/) or you can access the site directly at <CLICK HERE>. Hourly data is typically posted within two hours or the actual sample time. The Website contains the latest data shown on a satellite image of the site or historical data downloaded.

Residents are encouraged continue submitting odor complaints if noxious odors are detected. Inquisitive residents may want to also review the data available from the Perimeter Monitoring system.

EGLE will be holding a community meeting to discuss the recently announced settlement in the Attorney General's lawsuit with the Arbor Hills Landfill on Thursday, April 28th at 6 PM. The meeting will be held virtually (video conference). Good attendance is extremely important to let EGLE and our elected leaders know how important the landfill issue is to our community.

Information on how to attend the community meeting can be FOUND HERE.

On Thursday, April 28th at 6PM, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will host an online community meeting to talk with the public about enforcement activities and other updates around the Arbor Hills Landfill in Northville, Michigan. <Click Here> to view the community meeting announcement with instructions on how to attend the meeting.

One of the most significant pieces of the Arbor Hills Consent Judgement is a requirement for Arbor Hills to install and maintain a network of air monitoring stations on the perimeter of the landfill. Appendix G of the Consent Judgement contains the details for the perimeter monitoring system. Methane (CH4) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) concentrations must be continuously monitored for the next 10 years.

In the first 12 days since the Consent Judgement was signed there have been:

• 48 odor complaints

• Complaints were made by 31 different households

• 95% of these odor complaints were made on just six days

• complaints were not made when the wind blows away from our neighborhoods

Michigan’s Attorney General (AG), Dana Nessel, and the Director of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Liesel Clark, announced a settlement has been reached with the Arbor Hills Landfill. The settlement resolves the lawsuit between the landfill and EGLE which the AG began in October 2020. The lawsuit was brought to force the landfill to comply with state and federal regulations governing landfill operations. The landfill’s continuing non-compliant operation was resulting in excess emission and noxious odors in the communities downwind of the landfill.

The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will be holding a virtual Town Hall to update the public on the status of PFAS contamination at the Arbor Hills Landfill on February 24th at 6:00 PM. <CLICK HERE> for townhall information.

The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will be holding a virtual Town Hall to update the public on the status of PFAS contamination at the Arbor Hills Landfill on Thursday, February 24th at 6:00 PM. <CLICK HERE> for information on how to attend the Town Hall.

PFAS contamination at the Arbor Hills Landfill has been a complicated issue since at least 2016. The Landfill has changed ownership from Advanced Disposal Service to Green for Life (GFL) and there have been 10 – 15 representatives from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) involved with the PFAS issue. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will be holding a virtual Town Hall to update the public on the status of PFAS contamination at the Arbor Hills Landfill on February 24th at 6:00 PM. <CLICK HERE> for townhall information.

The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will be holding a virtual Town Hall to update the public on the status of PFAS contamination at the Arbor Hills Landfill on February 24th at 6:00 PM. <CLICK HERE> for townhall information. The Conservancy Initiative as well as leaders from Northville Township, the City of Northville, and Plymouth Township encourage residents to attend this informational meeting. A significant online turnout at this townhall is important to keep the focus on the Arbor Hills Landfill’s PFAS contamination that threatens Johnson Creek and our community. EGLE will also have a representative from the Air Quality Division (AQD) and may provide an update on the ongoing enforcement actions being led by the Michigan Attorney General. The Conservancy Initiative believes a settlement in this lawsuit may be near.

Arbor Hills is currently covered by a General Stormwater Permit which does not require the stormwater effluent to be sampled. The General Stormwater Permit is currently in the process of being renewed and EGLE recently opened a period for public comments on the renewal of the General Stormwater Permit. The Conservancy Initiative believes a General Stormwater Permit, which does not contain requirements to periodically sample, analyze, and report on the quality of the stormwater effluent, is not appropriate for the Arbor Hills Landfill given the stormwater from the site is exceeding water quality standards for PFOS* concentration.

This past week Opal Fuels, LLC (a Fortistar Company) and Green for Life both announced they had entered into a joint venture agreement to develop, construct and operate a Renewable Natural Gas production facility at the Arbor Hills Landfill. Opal Fuels will be responsible for the construction and operation of the facility. The facility will produce 2 million MMBTU of pipeline quality RNG per year and will be one of the largest RNG facilities in the nation.

Since Green for Life took ownership of the Arbor Hills Landfill in late 2020, 20% to 25% of the trash being buried at Arbor Hills originates in Canada.

• Currently, approximately 75,000 cu yards of trash from Canada is being received per month. We estimate this is over 600 trucks per month.

• Washtenaw County, widely believed to be the most progressive county in the state, home of the University of Michigan, has become the county of choice for Ontario’s Waste

• Arbor Hills was approved by Washtenaw County to provide a final home for waste generated by Washtenaw County. Currently, Washtenaw County is contributing less than 15% of the volume at Arbor Hills.

• A potential justification for the Canadian waste is the landfill host fees. Salem Township receives approximately $2.5 million per year, and Washtenaw County receives approximately $1.0 million per year.

• In the 3 years prior to GFL, Arbor Hills accepted ZERO waste from Canada.

EGLE issued a Violation Notice to the owner of the Arbor Hills Landfill, Green for Life (GFL). The Violation Notice alleges the Flare System at the Arbor Hills Landfill has not been adequately designed and/or operated to capture and burn all the landfill gas typically produced at the landfill. EGLE believes that failing to capture and control all the gas produced likely contributed to odors detected in the downwind community.

Northville Township announced it filed a lawsuit against the Arbor Hills Landfill. The lawsuit was filed after the township was unable to negotiate a satisfactory resolution to issues that have regularly degraded the quality of life in Northville Township.