Erin Spinka

Orleans Township, Mich. -- In an effort to block W.Va.-based Transload of America from buying the Pitsch Landfill in Ionia County, Mich., and from importing garbage from the East Coast, area residents are organizing a petition. The company reportedly plans to raise dumping limits at the landfill from 100,000 tons per year to 600,000 tons per year, as well, if its proposal is approved. The plan would provide Ionia County and Orleans Township with additional money from tipping fees, which is appealing in tight-budget times. Nevertheless, many residents are collecting signatures in the hopes of convincing the Ionia County Commission and the Solid Waste Planning Committee to reject the proposal and keep the landfill operating at its current rate.