The Laketown Township Planning Commission has voted to terminate Cocoa Corporation’s composting operations on 60th Street between the I-196 and U.S. 31 overpasses.
The move comes after three years of severe odor issues, with township staff logging over 150 hours responding to complaints from residents who say they cannot be outdoors on their own property.
Supervisor Steve Ringelberg says the company ignores rules to keep compost piles covered and under six feet high.
“They did that at first, but then they stopped and then they went to 12 to 16 feet high, and they stopped covering them and that's when the massive odor problem really came into play .”
State inspectors cited Cocoa Corporation in April for environmental and public health violations.
Now landowner Republic Services is suing to kick them out entirely, filing a lawsuit in Allegan County, says attorney Ron Bultje.
“Republic would like Cocoa to be prohibited because they no longer have a business license agreement with Republic. They have no right to be on the premises according to Republic and they're in litigation over that.”
Cocoa Corp.’s representatives did not attend the public hearing.
The township board will enforce the shutdown and negotiate a revised use agreement with Republic.
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