NORTHVILLE, Mich., Jan. 12, 2025 — Tonight, state Reps. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) and Matt Koleszar (D-Northville) and state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield) joined residents at Northville High School to demand accountability from the Arbor Hills Landfill and its owner, GFL Environmental, and to stand in unified opposition to its proposed expansion. The town hall provided a platform for neighbors to voice their frustrations over years of foul odors and environmental violations, while lawmakers outlined the immediate steps being taken to stop the facility from growing and protect the community’s health.
“Tonight made one thing perfectly clear: our community is done being treated like a dumping ground for out-of-state trash,” Morgan said. “Families living near Arbor Hills can’t open their windows in the summer because the air smells like garbage, and parents are worried about what their kids are breathing in at school. After years of violating state law, GFL is now asking to expand — not just to continue operations but add an additional site closer to homes and Ridge Wood Elementary School. That’s unacceptable. We helped host this town hall to let the people know their voices have power, and together, we can stop the expansion of this landfill to protect our community.”
“Clean air and safe water are basic rights for everyone living in Northville,” Koleszar said. “Residents have dealt with the stench and the truck traffic for far too long and have had no real avenue for recourse. We are sending a strong message that we will not accept an expansion that threatens our quality of life, and we are going to keep fighting until this community gets the relief and respect it deserves.”
“Johnson Creek is a community treasure, not a dumping ground for toxic chemicals,” Bayer said. “We already know about the PFOS, and we know that this landfill has failed to protect our water time and time again. Expanding a facility that is already leaking dangerous chemicals into our only cold-water trout system is a direct threat to our local environment and our residents. We are working together to codify setbacks to ensure that landfills are far enough away from residences to safeguard Michiganders from their negative impacts. We have to draw a line to protect our water and our families.”
While the final decision to expand the landfill rests with the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, Morgan is continuing to lead state level solutions with the Landfill Accountability Act. This legislation is designed to increase the financial penalties for bad behavior. Currently, state fines for odor and environmental violations are often so low that large landfill operators simply pay them and continue business as usual. This legislation raises penalties by ten times the current amount, ensuring that fines are proportionate to the damage experienced by communities across Michigan. Additionally, it grants the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) stronger enforcement tools to crack down on repeat offenders who knowingly endanger public health.
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