Kimball town hall over landfill odors set for Monday

Jackie Smith, Port Huron Times Herald
·2 min read
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Seagulls fly at the Smiths Creek Landfill in Kimball Township Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
Seagulls fly at the Smiths Creek Landfill in Kimball Township Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Residents looking for answers after months of a noticeable, unpleasant odor coming out of the St. Clair County Landfill in Smiths Creek will get their chance to find some at a town hall set for Monday.

The forum is set for 6 p.m. Monday at the River Church or old Kimball Elementary at 5801 Griswold Road. Township, county, and landfill officials were expected to be available, according to a flyer.

In a notice on Kimball Township’s website, Supervisor Rob Usakowski said several parties had been invited to participate, including the county health department, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, county board of commissioners, and neighboring communities.

“I share your frustration with the situation at the St Clair County Landfill. The pungent and consistent odors that have occurred over the past couple of years specifically have been of great concern,” Usakowski wrote in the notice. “The township has recently contacted the state attorney general’s office to place some additional pressure on EGLE to take a harder stance on this issue.”

The town hall was set following a show of residents at the Nov. 9 county board meeting, airing a host of environmental, health, and quality of life concerns after reporting the smell primarily of hydrogen sulfide – often preventing outside leisure and creeping into homes – within a large radius of the landfill.

At that meeting, county commissioners agreed to a bid for the installation of a gas interceptor trench around the southwest corner of the affected area, connecting to an additional flair installed this month to help burn off gas and ultimately help minimize off-site odors.

“I appreciate those of you that were able to attend the county board of commissioners meeting. It was good to publicly get in front of them,” Usakowski wrote. “The commissioners have allocated monies toward the landfill as requested by Matt Williams, landfill manager. To date they have allocated about $400,000 towards additional gas collection lines.”

Those looking for additional details were encouraged to call Usakowski. The township offices contact is (810) 987-9797. The supervisor’s listed cell is (810) 637-1537.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Kimball town hall over landfill odors set for Monday