UPDATE: Mark Hackel has expressed objections about this story, saying his remarks were taken out of context, but I have not yet had the opportunity to talk with him.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Macomb County Executive Mark stunned key figures in the waste hauling
industry and in local politics on Tuesday by essentially blocking a
compromise that would eliminate plans for a new landfill in New Haven in
exchange for shipping more of Macomb’s trash to nearby counties. What
started out as a day of celebration turned into a moment of agitation
for representatives from Rizzo Environmental Services, New Haven, St.
Clair County and a grassroots anti-landfill group, Citizens for a Better
Macomb County.
After a 6-month effort to hammer out a compromise, the four partiesinvolved held a press conference at the New Haven Municipal Building to
announce that they had put their differences aside and that Sterling
Heights-based Rizzo has dropped its controversial plan to develop a
second Macomb County landfill, a proposed 316-acre disposal facility
that would have been located adjacent to the only current garbage dump,
the Pine Tree Acres landfill.
In exchange, Citizens for a Better Macomb County agreed to help Rizzo
win approval from county officials to ship some of its waste out of the
county, to St. Clair and Genesee counties, rather than to Pine Tree
Acres. The group said the plan was a “fair and logical” approach to
create more competition and perhaps lower garbage-hauling rates.
win approval from county officials to ship some of its waste out of the
county, to St. Clair and Genesee counties, rather than to Pine Tree
Acres. The group said the plan was a “fair and logical” approach to
create more competition and perhaps lower garbage-hauling rates.
A few hours later, Hackel said that he is pleased that the proposal
for a second landfill was dropped, but the executive also indicated that
he does not favor new trash exports for Rizzo.
for a second landfill was dropped, but the executive also indicated that
he does not favor new trash exports for Rizzo.
In an interview with The Macomb Daily, Hackel said moneyed interests
are pushing their own agendas and Macomb County should steer clear of
private and public efforts to cash in on the lucrative garbage disposal
business.
Hackel said that Pine Tree Acres, operated by the waste-hauling giant
of North America, Waste Management, has plenty of capacity for the
future and there is no need to alter the waste disposal rules laid down
by the county in 1999.
of North America, Waste Management, has plenty of capacity for the
future and there is no need to alter the waste disposal rules laid down
by the county in 1999.
“I have absolutely no reason to open up that Solid Waste Plan,” he
said. “The DNR (state Department of Natural Resources) has told us
without hesitation that we have lots of landfill capacity for the
future.”
said. “The DNR (state Department of Natural Resources) has told us
without hesitation that we have lots of landfill capacity for the
future.”
In fact, Hackel said he has no plans to appoint anyone to the vacant
Solid Waste Planning Committee, which saw its members’ terms of office
expire about two years ago.
That committee’s approval would be the first step required for an
open-borders policy, followed by the OK from two-thirds of Macomb’s
cities and townships and passage by the county Board of Commissioners.
open-borders policy, followed by the OK from two-thirds of Macomb’s
cities and townships and passage by the county Board of Commissioners.
At the Rizzo company, officials said they had been given indications
that Hackel was “on board” and they were flabbergasted by the position
he staked out after the press conference.
that Hackel was “on board” and they were flabbergasted by the position
he staked out after the press conference.
“Perhaps the county executive needs time to evaluate our proposal,
which he just received (Tuesday) morning,” said company spokesman Joe
Munem. “The proposal we’ve laid out is not opposed by anyone involved.
And … as far as I can tell, you only have one opponent – the owners of
the ‘monopoly’ landfill, Pine Tree Acres.”
Located on 29 Mile Road just east of Gratiot in Lenox Township, Pine
Tree Acres is, by far, the busiest landfill in Michigan, thanks to a
continuous caravan of trash trucks from Canada. It is also reportedly
one of the most profitable landfills in the nation.
Tree Acres is, by far, the busiest landfill in Michigan, thanks to a
continuous caravan of trash trucks from Canada. It is also reportedly
one of the most profitable landfills in the nation.
The now-defunct Rizzo plan called for a new landfill adjacent to the
Pine Tree property, extending south from 28 Mile Road into the village
of New Haven.
Pine Tree property, extending south from 28 Mile Road into the village
of New Haven.
Many Michigan landfills have expressed concerns about unprofitable
trash volumes due to recycling, new disposal technologies, a sluggish
economy, and a slowdown in Canadian imports into Michigan. But Munem
said it would be “ludicrous” for Hackel to express concerns about the
future financial viability of a lucrative waste site like Pine Tree.
trash volumes due to recycling, new disposal technologies, a sluggish
economy, and a slowdown in Canadian imports into Michigan. But Munem
said it would be “ludicrous” for Hackel to express concerns about the
future financial viability of a lucrative waste site like Pine Tree.
The players involved in this issue are:
• Rizzo, which collects the trash for 10 Macomb County communities,
including Clinton Township, Shelby Township and St. Clair Shores, and is
hoping to add more. In November, the family-owned business was named as
one of two private haulers that will replace the Detroit sanitation
department under the ongoing city bankruptcy process. The inner city
trash will be hauled to the Detroit incinerator. The compromise plan
they presented to Hackel calls for unlimited exports from Macomb to St.
Clair, Genesee, Livingston and Sanilac counties.
including Clinton Township, Shelby Township and St. Clair Shores, and is
hoping to add more. In November, the family-owned business was named as
one of two private haulers that will replace the Detroit sanitation
department under the ongoing city bankruptcy process. The inner city
trash will be hauled to the Detroit incinerator. The compromise plan
they presented to Hackel calls for unlimited exports from Macomb to St.
Clair, Genesee, Livingston and Sanilac counties.
• Waste Management, which has operated Macomb County’s lone landfill
for household trash since 1986. The company has maintained in recent
months that southeast Michigan has a robust, competitive waste disposal
market and that the export limits in the county Solid Waste Plan are
guidelines, not hard-and-fast restrictions.
• St. Clair County, a county closed to exports, which has seen the
trash volume at its Smiths Creek landfill, located west of Port Huron,
dwindle in recent years. Hoping to avoid a spike in trash disposal rates
for residents, county board Chairman Jeff Bohm said that he believes
his colleagues would move quickly to end their closed-county status in
order to make room for Macomb garbage, though “Macomb County politics a
lot different than politics in our county.”
• Citizens for a Better Macomb County, based in New Haven, which had
already lined up commitments of varying degrees from more than a dozen
cities and townships in opposition to the proposed Rizzo landfill.
Members of the group applauded at the conclusion of the press conference
but later in the day the group’s leader, Daniel VanDeKerkhove,
expressed dismay at Hackel’s “close-minded” reasoning.
VanDeKerkhove said he didn’t understand why the county executive was
supporting “out-of-date export quotas (that) are single-handedly
securing a monopoly for Waste Management…For him to do that suggests
that he’s already picked a side. It’s important that the (solid waste
planning) committee form, to sort through all the details, and report
their findings to him and the county commissioners.”
supporting “out-of-date export quotas (that) are single-handedly
securing a monopoly for Waste Management…For him to do that suggests
that he’s already picked a side. It’s important that the (solid waste
planning) committee form, to sort through all the details, and report
their findings to him and the county commissioners.”
• Citizens for a Better New Haven, a group that is attempting to
recall four village officials — President Jammie Kincaid and Trustees
Daniel Stier, Jaremy Davis and Jennifer Podgurski – in a May 6 election.
The recall drive initially focused on the village council’s “host
agreement” for the Rizzo landfill, a pact that was later rescinded. But
one of the group’s leaders, Ann Pridemore, who is running for Davis’
trustee seat, said earlier this month: “It’s not just the landfill; what
we see is fiscal irresponsibility.”
agreement” for the Rizzo landfill, a pact that was later rescinded. But
one of the group’s leaders, Ann Pridemore, who is running for Davis’
trustee seat, said earlier this month: “It’s not just the landfill; what
we see is fiscal irresponsibility.”
Yet, just as Lenox Township collects millions of dollars in fees from
Pine Tree, the Rizzo landfill could have generated up to $3 million for
the cash-strapped village in the first five years of operation.
Pine Tree, the Rizzo landfill could have generated up to $3 million for
the cash-strapped village in the first five years of operation.
Hackel said he is willing to engage in waste disposal discussions
that might be originated by the Board of Commissioners or local
officials, though he showed no signs of compromising on existing export
limits to other communities, including Wayne County.
Better late than never – the village of New Haven is not cash strapped, according to the village president, Jammie Kincaid. In an article in the Voice News in March of 2013, Kincaid said the village was operating in the black, and would not be seeking tax increases. Not sure where you got the "cash strapped" language.