Tally of Letters to Plainfield Township Supervisors on Rezoning:
29 Support Rezoning, 499 Opposed!

We share the results of a Right to Know request by resident Gary Winchilla. He writes the following: 

Something stinks in Plainfield township and it’s more than just the dump.

On August 15, 2025, I submitted a Right to Know request to Plainfield township for “Copies of all correspondence to Plainfield Township expressing Support OR Opposition to the Waste Management expansion and the Waste Management/GSC application to rezone land from Farm and Forest for a new solid waste processing and disposal district.

This rezoning request was reviewed at a public hearing on August 27, 2025, and ultimately approved by the Plainfield township board of supervisors with a 3-2 vote on that same night.

I received the information related to the Right to Know request on September 2, 2025, and have had the opportunity to do an independent analysis of the copies provided. The analysis included a basic tally of all correspondence that supports the rezoning/landfill expansion and all correspondence in opposition to the rezoning/landfill expansion. The analysis also includes the type of entity that sent the correspondence (i.e. business or organization, resident, etc.).

While reviewing the Right to Know information, it was noticed that there were multiple copies of several of the correspondences that were sent to the township. Every effort was made to identify the duplicates and only include the first copy found for the analysis. Additionally, if multiple letters or types of correspondence were sent from the same individual or persons, only the first correspondence identified was included in the analysis. Finally, it was also noticed that the Right to Know request included 15 letters of support/thank you letters from 2004, which were unrelated to the current 2025 rezoning request. There were also 7 Thank you letters to Waste Management for donations made to local organizations, however these letters made no mention of the rezoning request/landfill expansion. For this reason, those 15 letters from 2004 and additional 7 thank you letters were excluded.

Results of the Analysis:

Correspondence “Supporting” the rezoning request/landfill expansion

Correspondence with “Neutral” stance on the rezoning request/landfill expansion

Correspondence “Opposing” the rezoning request/landfill expansion

Observations:

Those showing support for the rezoning request/landfill expansion were mainly concerned about the financial implications of the landfill ceasing operations in the future. The financial implications mainly include loss of tax revenue and loss of donations historically received from WM.

Those opposed to the landfill expansion, were more concerned about long term negative impacts to Plainfield township, the neighboring communities and its residents. The negative impacts include health concerns caused by landfills, loss of property value to homes located near the proposed landfill expansion, odors from the landfill, loss of open space and farmland, loss of potential use of the land once occupied by a landfill and concerns of future financial hardships as the landfill expansion is not a long term financial benefit to the township and neighboring communities.

It’s clear, that the majority of those that took the time to express their opinion on the future of Plainfield township and neighboring communities, oppose the request to rezone land from Farm and Forest for a new solid waste processing and disposal district and do not support the WM landfill expansion.

It’s unfortunate that there are 3 Plainfield township supervisors that refuse to consider the voice of the majority. I think I know where that foul smell is coming from now…