Effort underway to halt new landfill from development in Salem Township

According to the mayor of Northville, the Arbor Hills Landfill, which is owned by GFL and managed by Salem Township, is situated in the upper west corner of Washtenaw County and impacts a large number of residents with limited options at the moment.

FOX 2, Salem TWP, Mich.What is an excessive amount of trash? On Monday night, that’s what many in Northville are wondering. An attempt is being made to prevent Salem Township from being the site of a new landfill.

An existing landfill that is on the verge of filling up would be directly adjacent to the proposed dump.

The present landfill, which is situated directly at the boundary between Salem Township and Northville, will fill up in roughly five years. The landfill’s owner, GFL, is attempting to open a new one across the street, which has many nearby residents furious.

Although the Arbor Hills Landfill, which is owned by GFL and managed by Salem Township, is situated in the upper west corner of Washtenaw County, the mayor of Northville claims that it impacted a large number of people at the time and that there were few options available.

Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull stated, “It’s in Washtenaw County, but Wayne County, Northfield, and Northfield Township, especially, get all the odors and particulates.”

GFL plans to expand the area straight to the north, but the landfill is expected to fill up in five years. That is already in the process of being done.

David Drinan of the Conservancy Initiative stated, “It has always been a plan, but they have started the process by submitting a request to the state of Michigan.”

And today, everyone in this room and the Conservancy Initiative are working to halt that process. Or at the very least, establish a new dump elsewhere.

For forty years, Debbie Brown has resided next to the landfill.

“They should be along express ways where you smell it for five minutes, not next to houses,” Brown stated. “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.”

The town hall was also attended by state lawmakers. Trash is big business, they say. And people come here from all over the world to dump it off.

“Michigan has more trash than anywhere else in the country,” West Bloomfield Senator Rosemary Bayer (D) stated.

“90% of that trash comes from outside of Washtenaw County,” stated Drinan.

Because it’s inexpensive, they do it. Michigan pays about 35 cents per ton, while other states charge $5. 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.

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