NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXZY) — Residents living near the Arbor Hills Landfill are voicing concerns over a proposed expansion that would add a new landfill to the north of the existing site.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report:
Ronak Nandwana lives near the landfill, which sits on the border of Salem Township and Northville Township.
"When the dump first came in here 50 years ago, there was nobody here but now, there are so many neighborhoods that have popped up and they're building even more across the street," Nandwana said.
The waste management company GFL Environmental owns Arbor Hills and has proposed building a new landfill to the north of the existing one, citing that the current landfill is reaching its capacity.
Nandwana opposes the new landfill because of odor issues from the current facility.
"Right now, we are northeast of the dump, so maybe if you have eastern winds, maybe you can only catch a little edge of the smell. But if it's directly west of us, we're going to smell it for sure," Nandwana said.
Watch our December 2024 report about the landfill expansion controversy below:
I reached out to GFL on Wednesday to talk about the proposal and was told "no comment."
Dave Drinan, a Northville Township resident and member of The Conservancy Initiative, a nonprofit group formed to oppose the landfill, also expressed concerns about the expansion.
"Those of us who have invested in homes within a mile or two of this site obviously don't want to have to live next to a new landfill," Drinan said.
Drinan argues that the additional capacity isn't necessary.
"We don't need a landfill. The state has something on the order of 20 years of landfill capacity. We have so much landfill capacity that Canada ships the majority of their waste here," Drinan said.
Watch our October 2023 report when Northville Township was seeking a temporary restraining order against the landfill below:
While the landfill is located on the border of Washtenaw and Wayne counties, the decision to approve GFL's proposal will rest with the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners.
Washtenaw County Commissioner Jason Maciejewski said the proposal is currently being reviewed by the county's Materials Management Planning Committee.
"It's putting together the plan for the next 10 years for solid waste management, recycling, composting, how we handle our waste materials," Maciejewski said.
Maciejewski indicated that the committee will conduct research about the landfill, with a decision expected within the next year.
Drinan remains hopeful that the proposal will be rejected.
"I'm sure the community here will be ready to submit comments when the day comes when the question of the new landfill comes up," Drinan said.
The committee will hold its next meeting on May 21.
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