Help Shape the Future: Share Your Voice on Community Projects Funded by the Smiths Creek Landfill Consent Order
Kimball Township is seeking your input! As part of a potential Consent Order with the Smiths Creek Landfill, our community has the opportunity to benefit from what’s known as a Supplemental Environmental Project, or SEP and your voice will help determine what that looks like if we are able to facilitate an SEP.
Although we cannot be certain that SEP will be approved by the County Board of Commissioners or EGLE, we would like to have something to present to them.
🧾 What Is a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP)?
A Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) is a community-focused initiative that a company or facility agrees to fund instead of paying a traditional fine for environmental violations. Rather than sending money to a general state fund, the landfill can invest directly in projects that benefit the people most impacted by its operations, especially those living nearby.
These projects must:
Improve public health or the environment,
Be related to the violation, and
Go above and beyond what the landfill is already required to do.
💡 What Could an SEP Look Like in Kimball Township?
We’ve developed a list of specific project ideas that would make life better for residents living closest to the landfill. Now we want to know what YOU think.
Here are some of the ideas under consideration:
🌳 Tree Planting Buffer Zone
Create a natural barrier around the landfill using native trees and shrubs to reduce odor, dust, and noise.
💧 Free Well Water Testing & Filtration
Offer annual water testing and reverse osmosis filtration systems for residents within a two-mile radius.
🛻 Free Bulk Waste & Cleanup Days
Provide opportunities for residents to dispose of junk, yard waste, and bulky items free of charge.
🌬️ Real-Time Air Quality Monitors
Install air sensors near neighborhoods and schools to track odors and air pollution, with live updates online.
🏞️ Community Park Improvements
Fix up or add to local green spaces near the landfill; picnic shelters, benches, or a new small park.
📲 Odor Complaint App or Hotline
Create a 24/7 tool for residents to report odor issues with public updates and faster response times.
🩺 Free Health Screening Events
Host annual wellness clinics for nearby residents focused on lung health, heavy metals, and drinking water.
📣 We Need Your Input!
We’ve created a community survey to gather your thoughts. This is your chance to influence how the landfill gives back to our township.
👉 Take the survey online in the box at the bottom of this page
🖨️ Or visit the Township Office for a paper copy.
📅 Deadline to Participate: June 16, 2025
👩🌾 Why It Matters
You and your neighbors live with the traffic, noise, and smells that come with the landfill. This SEP is a chance to turn that challenge into something positive. Something that improves your health, your environment, and your daily life.
Let’s make sure the projects reflect the needs and values of our community, not just what’s convenient for the landfill.
Thank you for being part of the solution.
– Kimball Township
