Only one member of the public spoke during a Department of Environmental Quality hearing last Tuesday in Auburn Hills for the proposed addition to the Oakland Heights Development Landfill along Brown Road.
Orion Township, which borders the landfill, requested the public hearing back in December, but board members that wanted to attend were unable to because their regular meeting was held at the same time.
The hearing included a presentation by John Balconi, from Golder Associates, Inc., representing landfill owners Allied Waste Industries. DEQ officials also presented reviews on the engineering and geology aspects of the proposal.
The development consists of about 134 acres, 84.5 of which are currently permitted for solid waste disposal. It is a ‘type II? landfill, meaning it accepts only non-hazardous waste.
The proposal seeks 10.5 acres in the northwest corner of the current site for lateral expansion, plus eight acres of overfill on the northwest slope. Balconi referred to this overfill as ‘piggybacking? and noted that the proposal is not expanding vertically over what is currently permitted.
‘We are not increasing the grades at all from what’s already been established,? he said.
Based on a DEQ estimate, approval of the proposal would allow for around 1.5 years of additional disposal capacity on the site, bringing the life expectancy of the development to 2.5 more years.
The area in question for expansion was a 60-70 foot high soil pile, but that soil has been used to cover the existing fill.
The mobile home park across the street, in Orion Township, is aware of the landfill’s proposal.
The park’s wells are in the process of being relocated, a move that received financial help from Allied Waste, in order to meet the DEQ’s 2,000-foot setback requirement.
Balconi said the landfill development has taken many steps to ensure safety for their neighbors.
‘We have quite a thick liner system,? he noted, adding that they have a strong storm water management system and that their gas collection system supplies energy to Orion’s GM Plant.
‘We feel we have a system that is above the requirements for the state of Michigan,? Balconi said.
The landfill, which is one of two municipal solid waste landfills in Oakland County, received two DEQ violations in the past year (for blowing debris and dust control) and must make sure those items are addressed in addition to their proposal.
The only area resident to speak complained of beeping from the trucks on the site early in the morning and inquired about a contingency plan for the area’s water supply in the event of a problem.
DEQ officials said they will respond to public comments, both from the meeting and those received in writing, in a special document (stay with The Review for more on that).
The DEQ must make a decision on the construction permit application by March 14.
‘By law, the DEQ is not able to base the decision on whether or not there is widespread support or opposition of the proposed expansion,? said Oladipo Oyinsan of the DEQ.