SALEM TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A settlement has been reached in the longtime battle about issues at the Arbor Hills Landfill in Salem Township.
“Some days we do have a bit of an odor,” Northville Township resident John Jurzec said.
Residents have been complaining about the odor for years.
“When I moved here I didn’t realize the smell was so bad,” Northville Township resident Xuyn Go said.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued the landfill and accused it of not following certain protocols and procedures. On Thursday (March 10), Nessel announced that a settlement has been reached.
“The settlement requires a resolution to issues at the landfill, as well as the commitment to fund environmentally beneficial projects and pay fines that amounted to more than $2.3 million,” Nessel said.
As part of the agreement, the company that owns the landfill must operate as a free service for 10 years, install monitors to detect hydrogen sulfide and methane, and more.
“Arbor hills is also required to install a vegetative buffer of spruce trees to reduce the transport of meticulous matter and odor from the landfill,” Nessel said.
Resident David Horan said it’s progress.
“It’s a step in the right direction. I mean, we’ve been waiting a long time for some type of enforcement and I think it’s a success,” Horan said.
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