Residents question landfill’s groundwater clean-up proposal

By Monica Dufour
INDEX Staff Writer

RICHFIELD TWP. — Some residents near the Holloway Reservoir hope the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will consider their concerns about contamination risks from the landfill before approving Richfield Landfill’s request to expand.

The residents attended a public meeting at Simple Elementary School May 7, with some members of the MDEQ; Richfield Landfill owner Fred Hambleton, and his team of geologists.

Geologist Mark Sweatman of BCI Engineers and Scientists said tests have detected manganese; iron; and inorganic nitrogen on-site. Off-site, they detected manganese which probably was caused by salt back wash from water softeners and road salt.

Sweatman, who was hired by Richfield Landfill Inc., said Richfield Landfill owner Fred Hambleton plans to do the following if approved by MDEQ.

Richfield Landfill Inc., owner Fred Hambleton plans to clean up groundwater contamination related to the landfill, by including an active groundwater cleanup system designed to capture contaminants from leaving the landfill property; provide homes in affected area with individual treatment systems; construct a municipal water supply by 2010; cap the source of contamination to reduce additional groundwater impacts; construct a hydraulic containment system constructed and operational in 2014.

In order to get the process moving along, Richfield Landfill will need to have financial assurance to cover about $4.7 million, Hambleton’s financial advisor said. He said bonds would be one of the means the landfill could use.

One of the members of the audience asked the advisor who would pay for the bonds.
The financial advisor said Richfield Landfill Inc. would.

“I need to know if my son can brush his teeth,” one of the homeowners said. “I’m about 20 feet away. I guess I shouldn’t be using it.”

MDEQ official Lee Carter said it was his personal choice whether to use the water.

“How many residents are in the contaminated area?”someone asked.

Carter said 23 parcels of land (18 families).

“Why can’t you close it (landfill) down until it’s solved?” a woman asked.

“You pose an interesting question,” Hambleton said. “By the landfill remaining open, we make money to maintain it. Over the past five years we’ve spent $2.5 million characterizing the problem. We aren’t the problem, we’re the solution.”

Jack Hinterman, resident, and vice president of the Holloway Reservoir Association said he’s concerned about the length of time it’s going to take Richfield Landfill to complete their proposed plan.

The leak is coming from an old landfill site. It’s going into the groundwater and into Holloway Reservoir. It’s going to take so long to stop the waste; the plan isn’t going to be up and running for seven or eight years.”

He’s also concerned about Richfield’s ability to meet its financial assurance obligations.
Carter said the MDEQ accepted comments on the landfill until the close of business (5 p.m.) May 14. He anticipates the MDEQ will give its decision sometime before the end of the month.