Township officials tour site to track down odor

Adam Brent walked through the windrows of compost at Cocoa Corp. along 60^th Street in Laketown Township on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 2, 2025.

The CEO and founder of the composting company used a gloved hand to dig a hole in one of the mounds and invited the four Laketown officials on tour with him to place their hands over the spot.

It was hot – 165 degrees. Just like it’s supposed to be to process organic material into the nutrient-rich material sought after by farmers and growers alike.

Laketown Township Manager Stephanie Fox, Supervisor Steven Ringelberg, Deputy Clerk Zoey Hallam and Public Information Coordinator Jim Hayden accepted a tour invitation from Brent to walk the property to get a better understanding of the composting process and what causes the odors that lead to complaints from neighbors.

“The odors from the transfer and composting site shared by Republic and Cocoa have been an ongoing issue since before I joined the township. We take this very seriously and have been pushing Republic and EGLE to get this resolved,” said Ringelberg referring to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Cocoa, an independent business, leases its property from adjoining Republic Services, 4368 60^th St., between the I-196 and U.S. 31 overpasses. Republic operates a transfer station for waste and recycling.

“I understand why the neighbors are very frustrated and angry about the odors. Unfortunately, EGLE keeps reporting that there is no issue with the odors and that handcuffs the township,” Ringelberg said.

“We are committed to continuing to pursue a resolution of the odor issues by listening to residents and pushing Republic, Cocoa and EGLE to get the noxious odors under control,” Fox said.

What causes the odors

Brent acknowledged strong odors do come from the composting material, especially when the windrows are turned, which they must be by state law five times in a 15-day period. The material is turned Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. but not on the weekends.

Laketown Township residents have been complaining about foul odors for years. The township has been directing complaints to EGLE which has been investigating the site repeatedly over the summer at the request of Laketown Township.

EGLE has investigated the site multiple times this year and no violations have been noted. EGLE was at the facility on Oct. 1.

“I arrived … shortly after the compost windrows were turned, this is the best time to monitor the odors. I did notice the odors roughly 500 feet away from the front entrance, but at that time the odors were more of a mix of solid waste and compost. I also want to note that the transfer station’s tipping floor was nearly cleaned up around 3 p.m., this is a great indicator of a well-run transfer station, and I do not believe the odors to be coming from Republic’s solid waste operation at this time,” said Noah Rubio, environmental quality analyst, materials management division with EGLE.

“As I went further back into the site the odors were coming from the compost operation, I do not believe the odors were strong enough to warrant a violation under Part 115. Cocoa Corp. also takes precaution when determining the best time to turn their compost (wind speeds, direction of the wind, time of day, etc.).”

On Oct. 2, another EGLE employee drove by the facility and did not notice any odors, Rubio said.

Material on site

When he took over the composting 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 said 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.

Cocoa is planning to move its operation to Berrien County, a process that started in April 2024. Multiple permits are required before anything can happen, Brent said.

“I expect to transition to the new site as soon as the permits are granted and construction completed,” Brent said.

That expected move, which has met with permit delays, is one reason the odor has intensified. Brent had multiple smaller rows of composting material, but when he began to plan his move, those piles were combined into four larger berms that amplify the odors.

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 to a compositing/organic odor).  If you send your complaint to office@laketowntwp.org, the township will dispatch someone to the Republic site, pass the complaint on to EGLE, and pass the complaint on to Republic Services and Cocoa.

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.