Northville Township asks court to shut down section of Arbor Hills landfill
NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Northville Township is seeking legal action to shut down a new section of the Arbor Hills landfill after complaints of an odor.
The township filed a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in Wayne County Circuit Court on Thursday, Oct. 26, to halt any new waste in the landfill's new section, Cell 6A. Green for Life Environmental currently owns the landfill.
The motion claims the section is "emitting noxious odors since its opening on or about July 6, 2023." The township says residents made 462 complaints between July 7 and Oct. 24, with 227 of those complaints made in October. Additionally, more residents in the Steeplechase and Northville Ridge subdivisions have been making complaints in the last 30 days.
"We cannot allow our residents to be exposed to these extreme methane gas levels, and horrible smells for another 90 days," Northville Township Supervisor Mark Abbo said in a statement. "The health and wellness of our residents is a top priority. That is why we are calling on the court to issue a restraining order preventing Arbor Hills from using Cell 6 until all of the proper safety measures are in place."
According to the motion, the landfill and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) agreed to a Jan. 18, 2024 deadline to implement safety measures.
This is not the first time the township has been at odds with the landfill. Officials say a lawsuit was filed against Arbor Hills to prevent odors and excess pollutants to Johnson Creek, the township's only cold-water trout stream.
Abbo says the latest motion is "the foundation to our 2021 lawsuit and why we requested this restraining."
"Arbor Hills should be more responsible in its operations of the landfill. We expect them to deal more effectively with the methane and the odors the landfill is emitting. Simply put, it's about being a better neighbor," Abbo said. "It's about keeping our neighborhoods, our water, our air quality safe."
