Michigan buries more trash per person than any state in the country. About 1 in 5 tons comes from somewhere else, most of it from Canada, because it’s cheap to dump trash here.

A landfill is sealed, and the waste inside keeps breaking down for decades making methane, liquid and heat.

That matters for the people who live nearby. Even on an ordinary day, landfills release benzene and other chemicals you can’t see. When the heat climbs, those emissions rise with it, and neighbors report headaches, nosebleeds and nausea.

One Michigan landfill in Arbor Hills, just west of Northville, has been running hot since 2019. Last year a well there reached 177 degrees, and the state approved running it hotter still. Now the operator, the Canadian waste company GFL Environmental, wants to add about 90 more acres — on the same side of the landfill where the heat has been concentrated.

A new report from the advocacy group Full Circle Future says that’s the pattern nationwide: when landfills get dangerously hot, companies ask permission to run hotter, and states say yes without asking what is causing it.

Katherine Blauvelt, who runs Full Circle Future, joined Robyn Vincent to explain what’s happening underground, what escapes into the air, and who is supposed to be watching.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

Editor’s Note: After this conversation aired, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy responded to questions from The Metro.

EGLE said it requires Arbor Hills to measure temperatures deep inside the waste, not just at the wellhead, any time a well passes 165 degrees. The agency also said it reviewed gas data back to 2020, found signs of a separate underground reaction elsewhere on the site, questioned GFL about it, and found no compliance problems. The elevated temperature event at Arbor Hills, EGLE said, “continues to be properly managed.”

When asked whether Michigan is considering rules like Ohio’s and California’s, which require finding the cause before approving higher temperatures, EGLE did not say.

The Metro also contacted GFL Environmental. A company representative said they could not answer The Metro’s questions by our deadline Wednesday morning.

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Americans are commemorating 25 years since the September 11th attacks. Metro Detroiters are remembering that eventful day, too.

The WDET newsroom and staff from The Metro share where they were during 9/11, how they felt in the moment and how that impacts them today.

Many of the staff were in school, while others were reporting on the field. 

This piece was produced by WDET Reporter Nargis Rahman. 

In this episode: 

• Why did the flint water crisis report come out now?
• Citizenship voting proposal blocked from Michigan ballot.
• Controversial UP copper mine gets $50M in state grants after years of trying.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ballot proposal drama, the significance of a report on the Flint water crisis and mixed feelings about funding for a copper mine. There was a lot to cover this week.

On MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben break down the week’s major headlines with The Detroit News’ Beth LeBlanc.

One of the main headlines was Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urging lawmakers to send new versions of nine vetoed bills to her this fall. LeBlanc says she understands the move but doesn’t think it will succeed.

“Those nine bills passed through a Democratic trifecta. Right now, the makeup of the House and Senate is very different. Matt Hall held up these bills for a year, and many in his caucus don’t agree with these bills. I don’t really know if they have any chance of getting to the governor at this point,” LeBlanc said.

The governor received a lot of pushback when she vetoed the bills nearly six weeks ago.

More from WDET:

• MichMash: Whitmer clashes with state Democrats after vetoing bills; MEDC revives economic development incentive
• Detroit Evening Report: EPA lifts emergency order on Flint drinking water
• MichMash: Flint water criminal prosecutions ends with no charges, frustrated residents

In Her Honor – Detroit is a part of a three-day event using art, storytelling, remembrance and action to honor the mothers lost to maternal mortality. 

The Detroit Institute of Arts hosted a screening of the documentary ‘Aftershock’ to kick off the series.

The film follows stories of loss, grief and advocacy for Black and Brown mothers who have died from pregnancy-related complications. 

Omari Maynard is a Brooklyn-based artist, educator, and advocate. Maynard is featured in Aftershock. Audiences follow along as Omari reshapes his life after the death of his partner, Shamony Gibson.

Maynard created portraits of remembrance for Black and Brown women lost to a lack of support and resources in the maternal health system. 

One portrait turned into dozens. This spring the portraits were on display in Washington D.C. in front of 50 congressional offices, giving a name, face and story to alarming statistics. 

Alongside the portrait series in Her Honor, Maynard is the co-founder of the Ariah Foundation. 

Danielle Atkinson is the founding executive director of Mothering Justice. Mothering Justice is a grassroots advocacy organization. It empowers mothers, particularly mothers of color, to address the critical issues that impact their families and communities. 

Omari and Danielle joined The Metro to talk more about In Her Honor and Aftershock. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming  On-demand. Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcast

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