Effort underway to halt new landfill from development in Salem Township
SALEM TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - How much trash is too much? That's what people are asking in Northville on Monday night. An effort is underway attempting to stop a new landfill from being developed in Salem Township.
The proposed landfill would go right next to an existing landfill that is about to reach capacity.
In about five years from now, the current landfill located right at the border of Salem Township and Northville will be full. The owner of the landfill, GFL, is trying to start a new one just across the street and that has many people living near-by very upset.
The Arbor Hills Landfill is located in the upper west corner of Washtenaw County, owned by GFL and governed by Salem Township, but according to the mayor of Northville, it affected many more people with little recourse at that time.
"It’s in Washtenaw County, but Wayne County, Northfield, Northfield Township, especially, gets all the odors and particulates," said Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull.
The landfill is set to reach capacity in five years, but GFL wants to expand the area directly to the north. The process of doing that is already underway.
"It’s been a plan forever, but they have initiated the process by making a request to the state of Michigan." said David Drinan of the Conservancy Initiative.
And now the effort of the Conservancy Initiative and everyone in this room is to stop that process. Or at least have a new landfill somewhere else.
Debbie Brown has lived near the landfill for 40 years.
"They should be along express ways where you smell it for five minutes, not next to houses," said Brown. "We don’t get the smell a whole lot but we are going to get it more when they get this new expansion going north, it's going to go north."
State lawmakers were also at the town hall. They say trash is big business. And people come from far and wide to drop it off right here.
"Michigan has more trash than anywhere else in the country," said Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D) West Bloomfield.
"90% of that trash comes from outside of Washtenaw County," said Drinan.
They do it because it's cheap. Roughly 35 cents per ton in Michigan versus $5 in other states. The lawmakers say there are efforts in Lansing to raise those fees, but so far it hasn't come up for a vote and time is running out.
No one from GFL was at the town hall and didn't respond in time for this report, but in September they did attend a Salem Township meeting and said they plan to buy the land next to the current landfill and make way for another one. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioner will have the final say.