Michigan
Methane leaks from Michigan landfills pose environmental threat
DETROIT – Methane gas is leaking from Michigan landfills and it poses an environmental threat that goes far beyond our state.
But there’s good news: technology is already available to help fix the problem – it’s just not being used.
At 80 times the potency of carbon dioxide, methane is a potent greenhouse gas. A new study found significant methane leaks at landfills across the country, “including several in Michigan,” according to Katherine Blauvelt, campaign director with Industrious Labs, the nonprofit environmental group that conducted the study. Blauvelt told Local 4 her organization’s in-depth study of landfill methane leaks revealed significant discrepancies between what the landfill operators themselves reported versus what the EPA found.
In Michigan, there are about 60 landfills, and according to the federal Clean Air Act, landfills self-report methane leaks. The EPA is not required to inspect landfills, but occasionally the EPA does conduct landfill inspections. Industrious Labs reviewed numerous EPA landfill inspection reports- including for several Michigan landfills. The group discovered that the EPA found many methane leaks than the landfills reported to the agency.
For example, at Brent Run landfill in Montrose Township, the EPA found excessive methane leaks along with potentially cancer-causing hazardous air pollutants. And at Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Macomb County, an unannounced inspection by the EPA found failures of the landfill’s gas collection system and 19 excessive methane leaks.
The problem, according to Industrious Labs, is that federal rules for reporting leaking methane are seriously out-of-date. Landfills are only required to self-report the invisible methane leaks four times each year, using a handheld device.
Blauvelt offered a technical comparison: “I’d say the EPA standards are sort of like a Windows 2000 operating system.”
Carbon Mapper conducts airborne and satellite observation of methane leaks. The group documents the size and location of methane “plumes,” using special photography. Carbon Mapper’s documentation is available to the public; the group provides it for free to decision-makers.
“We can use known technologies to reduce these emissions. So why would we not want to do that,” Scarpelli said.
Landfills are the third biggest source of methane leaks in the U.S. Of all the environmental problems we face, Katherine Blauvelt says the issue of landfill methane leaks is “very solvable.” “It simply takes action by our federal regulators to make it happen,” she said. Local 4 emailed the EPA and asked whether the federal agency has plans to change anything it’s doing with regard to detecting landfill methane leaks. In response, the EPA said:
“Municipal Solid Waste Landfills are a primary focus of the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for mitigating climate change. By inspecting landfills, identifying excess emissions, and taking enforcement actions against noncompliant landfills, the Agency is reducing emissions in the sector. When EPA inspectors find exceedances of the surface methane standard during inspections, facilities are obligated to correct and re-monitor these exceedances according to the timelines under the landfills New Source Performance Standards.”
More information about EPA’s NECI plans can be found here.
Scientists who spoke with Local 4 said food waste is the number one cause of landfill methane, because it decays quickly, releasing methane in the process. Food waste makes up about 25 percent of everything that winds up in Michigan landfills.
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two Colombian nationals are facing charges after being accused of conspiring to move large amounts of cocaine into the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey.
According to an indictment, from November 2024 through June 24, 2025, Carlos Andres Rueda Ipia, or “Indio,” and Manuel Augusto Munoz Orozco, or “Gordo,” conspired with each other and others to distribute and import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Colombia.
The pair are also accused of distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia on March 13, 2025, “having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.”
“We worked with our international law enforcement partners to extradite these two men to face justice here because we want to send this message: if you send drugs into our community, we will come for you no matter where you are,” VerHey said. “I look forward to proving the guilt of these two defendants before a West Michigan jury.”
Rueda Ipia and Munoz Orozco were extradited to the United States on Thursday, and made their first appearance in court in Grand Rapids on Friday.
If convicted, the pair face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, according to VerHey.
“Let this be a warning, if you choose to traffic cocaine into the United States, you should expect to be hunted down, arrested, and brought into an American courtroom—no matter where you try to hide,” DEA Detroit Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon added. “The DEA will relentlessly pursue transnational drug traffickers, dismantle their criminal enterprises, and ensure they face the full weight of the American justice system.”
For Kent County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Bryan Muir, working with federal and international partners is necessary to keep people accountable.
“Drug trafficking on this scale crosses jurisdictions and international borders, and working with our federal and international partners is necessary to hold those responsible accountable,” he said. “Having a KCSO detective assigned to the DEA Task Force gives us a direct role in these investigations, improves information sharing, and helps keep dangerous drugs out of West Michigan.”
The DEA is investigating this case with help from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand Rapids Police Department and Michigan State Police.
International assistance includes DEA offices in Bogota, Colombia, and Vienna, Austria, as well as the Colombian National Police, the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt and the Austrian Landeskriminalamt, according to the attorney’s office.
How to register to vote in Michigan: Step-by-step guide
Registering to vote in Michigan is simple and can be done online, by mail, or in person, depending on how close you are to Election Day.
In Michigan’s Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary, voters will set the stage for the November general election, picking the Democratic and Republican nominees who will face off in the fall in major races, including nationally watched U.S. Senate and governor’s races.
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot:
Key races on Michigan’s primary ballot
- Governor: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits. The Democratic primary includes Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. The Republican primary includes former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James, of Shelby Township and businessman Perry Johnson. (Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, is on the ballot, but he has dropped out of the race and endorsed James.)
- U.S. Senate: The Democratic primary to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate includes former Wayne County and Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, of Birmingham. (State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, dropped out of the race but still appears on the ballot.) The GOP primary is uncontested, with only former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, of White Lake, on the ballot. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, decided not to seek reelection, creating an open race to fill his seat.
- U.S. House of Representatives: Michigan has 13 congressional districts. Incumbents are seeking reelection in all but two of them. With James running for governor, there is an open race to fill his seat for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. (Republican Robert Lulgjuraj – a Macomb County prosecutor – has ended his campaign in the 10th District, but his name still appears on the ballot.) There is also an open seat for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, with Stevens running for U.S. Senate.
- Michigan Senate: All 38 seats in the Michigan Senate are up for election this year. Some metro Detroit voters will vote for the first time in newly drawn districts following court-ordered changes.
- Michigan House of Representatives: All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives are also up for election this year.
- Local races and proposals: Voters across the state will also weigh in on races for local offices and proposals.
You can’t vote in both primaries
Unlike presidential primaries in Michigan, voters in the state do not need to request a specific party’s ballot to vote in the upcoming primary. The partisan section of the August primary ballot features Democratic and Republican sections. Voters must pick one party’s primary. For instance, a voter cannot vote for a Democrat in the U.S. Senate primary and a Republican in the gubernatorial primary.
Where can I find a sample ballot?
Michigan voters can go to michigan.gov/vote and click on “What’s on the ballot?” where they will be directed to a page to enter details about their voting jurisdiction to view a sample ballot. Alternatively, they can enter their voter information on the “Am I registered page?” to view a “Ballot preview.”
When can I vote in Michigan’s election?
Michigan voters can request an absentee ballot now. Early voting will run statewide Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, Aug. 2, but communities may offer longer early voting periods. Check out the “Where do I go to Early Vote?” page on michigan.gov/vote to find early voting locations.
Voters can also vote in person on Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in line to vote by 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot. Voters voting absentee must return their ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day will still count.
Where is my polling place?
Voters can find their polling place at michigan.gov/vote and head to the “Where is my polling place?” page and enter their voter details.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was in Kalamazoo on Thursday to discuss rising energy prices in the state.
She is pointing the finger at the Trump administration, and the federal push to keep a local coal plant in operation.
J.H. Campbell Plant in West Olive was built in the 1960s, and was planned to close down. Nessel said it’s costing Michiganders every day.
“Consumers Energy cannot use long-term coal contracts to save money, and the aging facility requires extensive repairs, so the plant costs some more to operate than it could ever recoup in profits,” Nessel said.
“And that’s a whopping $615,000 loss every single day that that plant is forced to stay open,” she added.
The U.S. Department of Energy issued another emergency order in May keeping the facility online through mid-August. The plant had originally been scheduled to close in May 2025.
The Department of Energy said the decision is centered on energy reliability, though Nessel said coal-fired plants are a major cause of climate change.
“I think since we’re here to talk in part about the J. H. Campbell plant, it’s worthy to note that coal fired plants are the single single largest source of emissions that cause and create climate change, such as what’s affecting us right now,” Nessel said in regards to the hazardous pollutants that blanketed most of Michigan on Thursday.
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