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Subject: CWL -- Countywide Landfill loses appeal -- Citizen action prevails. Countywide Landfill loses appeal. Citizens very pleased. Remain watchful. This decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals closes the book on Gibraltar-based Countywide Landfill's attempt to create a 200" mountain of a landfill in a floodplain between two creeks, just 500 yards from the Detroit River. (for the complete ruling, please see the Friends of Detroit
River web site:
http://www.detroitriver.org/PDF_Files/CWL_MDEQ_Decision.pdf
)
Citizens engaged local elected officials in the communities that surround Gibraltar. The neighboring communities opposed the expansion to the landfill on grounds based on environmental instability, land use, and common sense. The Mayor Mike Kuhn and a majority of Gibraltar City officials supported the landfill in defiance of their own citizens. Former Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara championed the expansion of the landfill, pulling insider maneuvers and power plays. These have been rebuked. Organized opposition came from many fronts, including the Friends of the Detroit River (David Howell 734-282-3764), Gibraltar City Council member Kathleen LaPointe (313-845-0454), State Rep Kathleen Law (734-673-0961), both Cameron Priebe and Greg Pitoniak, and local businessman Johno Norian (734-341-3700) who engaged attorney Grant Trigger (313-465-7584) whose brilliant analysis frustrated McNamara's bureaucratic tricks and persuaded the newly elected Granholm Administration to join with the citizens. Also adamant against the expansion has been Detroit Riverkeeper
Bob Burns
(734-552-9805), Frank and Poet Homeowners Association president Scott Ross. Gibraltar activist Jay Rynberg fought the landfill with recalls, petitions, and community mobilizations. There were many hundreds of additional supporters. Editorial support came from the Detroit Free Press and the News Herald. Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano and Kurt Heise, Director of Wayne County Department of Environment reversed the positions of their predecessors, McNamara and James Murray, and added important opposition to the expansion. Gibraltar Council member Kathleen La Pointe who has followed the regulatory process for a decade savored the victory, indicates a sale of the landfill is imminent, and expects another ill-fated attempt to expand the landfill to be in the works. Blair J. Mc Gowan 313-720-9115 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Johno Norian" <JNorian@norianproperties.com> To: "Kathleen LaPointe (K.M.) (E-mail)" <klapoint@ford.com>; "Blair & Kay Mc Gowan (E-mail)" <blairj@gatecom.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:09 AM Subject: FW: Attached image data (Gibraltar Landfill) To All I gives me great pleasure to forward this document. With out your involvement and hard work this would not have been an option. The Norian Companies PO Box 362 Brownstown, MI 48183 734.675.2000 voice 734.675.7445 Fax -----Original Message----- From: Trigger, Grant R. [mailto:GTrigger@honigman.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:38 AM To: Johno Norian Subject: FW: Attached image data (Gibraltar Landfill) Johno WE WON !! Please send around Grant R Trigger Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn 2290 First National Building Detroit, Michigan 48226 phone 313-465-7584 fax 313-465-7585 grt@honigman.com
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