By Jim Hayden
Correspondent
The state continues to investigate ongoing complaints about odors from the area of Republic Services, 4368 60th St.
The owner of the composting company at the site is preparing to move his operation to Berrien County and says he is taking “extraordinary measures” to control the odors.
Laketown Township residents have been complaining about foul odors for years. The township has directed complaints to the state department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), which has been investigating the site repeatedly over the summer at the request of Laketown Township.
About the Site and Smells
There are two facilities on the property along 60th Street between the I-196 and U.S. 31 overpasses.
One is Republic Services, which acts as a transfer station for waste and recycling.
The other is Cocoa Corp., a composting operation. Cocoa is an independent business that leases land from Republic.
“I have had EGLE at my site multiple times this year and to this point, Cocoa/Westshore has not received a violation for its composting operations,” said Adam Brent, CEO/Founder of Cocoa Corp.
“While that doesn’t mean an odor wasn’t generated, it does confirm that I am taking extraordinary measures to control the release of odors, especially given the volume of material that needs to be composted in order to stay in compliance with all of EGLE’s composting rules,” he said.
The fact that the odors do not persist 24 hours a day indicates the extensive measures being used to mitigate the smells, Brent said. The material must be turned multiple times over a set number of days to properly break down and eliminate pathogens.
When he took over the site in 2015, Brent said there were 30,000 to 40,000 tons of unsorted yard waste, wood waste and drywall already on the site. Since then, the site has accepted an additional 60,000 tons of material that requires grinding and mixing to meet EGLE requirements.
Brent claims that almost all the material was generated by Holland area residents, making it an essential service to the community.
Cocoa uses 3.5 acres of the about 10-acre site for composting.
Making a Move
Past reports said Cocoa was moving off the property, but the composting operation is still there and will be “for a couple more months,” according to an e-mail dated Sept. 15 from Jack Brown, manager, municipal services for Republic.
Cocoa is finishing processing material currently on site, he said. No new material is being brought in.
“We have asked them to finish cleaning up the piles they currently have and haul out the material as soon as possible,” Brown wrote. “With no more material coming in we hope this eliminates much of the odor issues, allowing them to finish off what material they have and leave the site.”
Since April 2024, Brent has been working with EGLE and municipalities in Berrien County to get the necessary permits to relocate there.
“I expect to transition to the new site as soon as the permits are granted and construction completed,” Brent said.
Recent complaints
In response to a recent odor complaint filed Sept. 1, Noah Rubio, environmental quality analyst, said the agency will again check out the site.
“I conducted a full site inspection back on Aug. 7, there were no odors from the compost operation but there were some solid waste odors near the front gate (which is typical as this was during the middle of the day),” Rubio wrote in an email to the township.
“I believe the week prior to this I also did a drive by to see if the odors were especially bad coming from one direction. On both occasions EGLE did not find the odors in violation of Part 115, Solid Waste Management, nor were there any major operations changes to indicate an increase in odors or improper solid waste management,” he wrote.
The agency also conducted a drive-by in mid-August and odors were not noticed that would have led to further action such as inspection or violation notice.
How to Report
If you want to report an odor, record your address, the date of the smell, the time of the smell, the wind conditions and other relevant description (such as whether it is a garbage-related odor or a compositing/organic odor). If you send your complaint to office@laketowntwp.org, the township will dispatch someone to the Republic site, plus pass the complaint on to EGLE and Republic Services.
EGLE also suggests noting if the odor complaints are more trash related, or organic/decomposition related so the agency can identify a pattern and help determine if it is the transfer station or the compost operation.
