Just hours after learning of State House passage of Representative Al Pscholka's stiff new fine structure for landfills, authorities for Landfill Management Company have voiced disappointment with that action and its impact on their property between Coloma and Watervliet.
Chris Phillips is Public Relations & Compliance Representative for Landfill Management Company which owns and operates Orchard Hill Sanitary Landfill in Watervliet. He says, "As Representative Pscholka knows, Orchard Hill Sanitary Landfill has an outstanding overall record of compliance with state waste management laws. Since 2008, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has conducted 36 evaluations of the landfill and found it to be in compliance every time but one."
Phillips calls passage of House Bill 4783, which provides for a major increase in business fines for non-compliance, "Disappointing," noting that the bill, "proposes massive increases in fines on landfills that are striving to be good neighbors and provide a valuable service in their communities."
Pscholka sought the increased fines in the wake of what he called ongoing odor issues, complaints, and a state settlement connected to the Orchard Hill Landfill. As approved, HB 4783 increases penalties under Michigan's waste management laws for first and second violations to $20,000 and $40,000 each day, up from $10,000 and $25,000 respectively.
Pscholka calls the law, "A quality of life issue," adding, "It's an important issue for a large number of residents in my communities, who have been trying to find a solution to this problem for quite some time and they reached out to me for help."
Pscholka has hosted several town hall style meetings on the issues, and it was the subject of multiple committee hearings in Lansing where local residents testified regarding life downwind from the landfill. He calls local residents, "victims of neglect." He suggested the higher level of fines in hopes they would be "a deterrent to bad behavior," noting, "The aim is discourage Michigan landfills from current and future violations, before they become the subject of widespread complaint."
The measure is not the law of the land yet, inasmuch as it goes on to the State Senate now for discussion.
Orchard Hill's Phillips says, "We remain committed to working with our neighbors and the DEQ to continuously improve our operations. If any person has a concern about Orchard Hill, we ask them to contact us at 269-254-5796 so we can immediately investigate and take appropriate action."
