The Trenton City Council approved a resolution 6-1 opposing any expansion of the Riverview landfill during its May 17 meeting.
By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
The Trenton City Council approved a resolution 6-1 opposing any expansion of the Riverview landfill during its May 17 meeting.
Councilman Scott Cabauatan requested a roll call vote on the resolution since he was abstaining from this matter due to his day-to-day business activities.
The Riverview Land Preserve is at 20863 Grange Road but the landfill expansion site is along King Road.
A proposed expansion would be a 45-acre extension eastward — still within the boundaries of the landfill — to extend the life of the landfill, according to a RLP summary release.
“The community should know that the landfill will not get any higher,” Riverview Assistant City Manager Jeff Dobek said. “Just as importantly, we will not increase our daily intake from the current 3,000 tons per day. We can only handle a set number of trucks per day and that number would not increase with this expansion.”
Trenton’s resolution stated, that Riverview has indicated to several local government agencies and their governing bodies that it has proposed and intends to expand the existing landfill site in size and scope to accommodate new and existing customers.
Concerns mentioned in the resolution were the expected increased traffic from the existing landfill site, odors, and air quality and environmental conditions in the immediate area adjacent to the neighborhoods.
“The City of Trenton does hereby oppose any expansion of the Riverview Landfill without due consideration of its impact on adjacent neighborhoods, and implementation of the following affirmative steps: relocating the existing and or proposed delivery entrance and/or exit to the Landfill site from King Road to Sibley or Allen Roads; implement an air quality monitoring system to detect and address foul odors escaping the site which may be deleterious to surrounding neighborhoods and adversely affect property values of homes located in the area; work collaboratively with the City of Trenton to develop and implement a joint recycling program in conjunction with waste disposal, to further protect the environment and extend the life the landfill; conduct an in depth traffic study to evaluate the impact to nearby residents, neighborhoods and roads; and aggressively address the vagrant trash that continually drifts from the current site and from the inbound customers dumping at the site.”
This current attempt to expand the landfill is not the first one, as it has been rejected prior.
Dobek said Riverview listened to the community and made important operational upgrades to ensure that the RLP is a good neighbor.
These upgrades include installing sophisticated odor controls, placing litter fencing to prevent blowing debris, improving daily and slope cover, purchasing new equipment to clean track-out onto roads, and heavily investing in additional landfill gas control infrastructure.
The RLP is a regional resource serving 16 Downriver communities. According to the summary release, the significance of that to Riverview residents is that revenue generated from the landfill is a vital part of keeping Riverview safe and property taxes lower.
Currently, the RLP provides 25 percent of Riverview’s operating budget.
“Without the RLP, the city would need to raise property taxes by 11 mills to replace that revenue — or slash the size of the fire and police forces keeping the city safe,” the release said. “Those funds are used for fire and police protection, along with park and recreation services—all of which are 100 percent paid for with property taxes in other communities. These lower property taxes, in turn, support higher property values. Also, Riverview residents receive free trash pickup.”
The Land Preserve generates millions of dollars in fees to support Wayne County household recycling and enrichment programs such as Community Shred Day each fall.
“Protecting our environment while supporting residents’ disposal needs is a priority,” the release said. “RLP also produces affordable renewable energy for Downriver. RLP’s landfill gas-to-energy system collects enough gas to provide electricity to 3,700 homes every year and is sold to DTE Energy.”
Over 30 people are employed by the RLP.
Residents who want to get involved in the extension of RLP can do so by being an advocate for the Riverview Land Preserve, Dobek said. The email address for comments is [email protected].
“We provide a tremendous community benefit, and have taken significant steps to be a better neighbor in the last few years” he said. “We’d ask residents who agree with us to write to the Wayne County Facility Inclusion Committee.”
A lot of communication between now and July is planned regarding this issue.
“There will also be a public hearing and other chances to show your support,” Dobek said. “We’d ask residents to stay engaged and speak out about the value of the Riverview Land Preserve to this community. Working together, we can ensure that we continue to enjoy the benefits of this special facility.”
Dobek said the proposed expansion, which requires approval by the Wayne County Facility Inclusion Committee would provide about 15 years of additional disposal capacity, on top of the eight to 10 years that are estimated to remain.
“I want to make sure Riverview’s taxpayers know what the Riverview Land Preserve contributes to keeping Riverview a safe and affordable place to live,” Riverview Mayor Andrew Swift said. “It’s especially important now. We need to get approval to expand the landfill or it will have to close in a few years. Our taxpayers need to understand the impact that would have on their community.”
A copy of the application package is available for public review at the Riverview Public Library, 14300 Sibley Road, and on the Wayne County website.
Money generated by the Land Preserve supports recreational parks and facilities that serve youth organizations such as, Riverview Junior Football Association and Riverview Baseball & Softball Association which use fields in Riverview, for organized practices and games throughout the year.
Also, the Skyhawks Soccer Tots Program, Skyhawks Basketball Program and Skyhawks Flag Football programs use athletic fields in Young Patriots Park to develop athletic skills and social values, such as teamwork, respect, and sportsmanship, for ages between 3-12 years old, the summary release said.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)