The Cadillac News (Detroit, MI) reports that residents and officials have been digging into the history of the Wexford County landfill. Meanwhile the Department of Public Works is holding a meeting tonight at 7:00 pm.

From the article:

"As a result of the current landfill issue, Cedar Creek Township, with the help of county residents who volunteered their time and professional expertise, began an exhaustive research of the public record in regards to the landfill," Pat Buttermore, the township clerk told county commissioners recently. "Although we tried to present an unbiased report the facts speak for themselves."

[...]

The Department of Public Works board meets 7 p.m. today under scrutiny to try and formulate a new set of rates for the landfill in the wake of the defeat of a plan that could have brought in out-of-county waste.

[...]

Partial landfill timeline

Feb. 1973 - Wexford County granted landfill license with stipulation: "No volatile wastes without special plan being submitted and approved"

Aug. 1975 - Hydro geologic studies show groundwater flow "generally to the north"

Jan. 1976: Health department alerts county to unlicensed disposal of industrial wastes

Sept. 1978 - Landfill license expires, operations continue

Sept. 1981 - Health department samples residential wells along U.S. 131

Nov. 1982 - Report of a Cadillac company dumping chemicals into landfill

April 1984 - DPW refuses to spend funds for water studies and wells

April 1985 - DPW board votes to close landfill

June 1985 - Private well on border of landfill contains traces of benzene

June 1985 - County board passes motion to delay landfill closure

Oct. 1985 - Volatile organic compounds found in additional monitor wells

Nov. 1987 - County commission votes to keep landfill open and work toward licensure

Feb. 2000 - Landfill funds used for county emergency radio project

July 2002 - County board agrees to pay the DEQ $27,500 for violations at the landfill that included excessive amounts of scrap tires being stored at the landfill

April 2004 - State funded residential well tests find volatile organic compounds

June 2005 - County approves $2 million 'bioreactor' cell

Source: Cedar Creek Township's 'The Wexford County Landfill'

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