2 weeks Ago By Robert Harding [email protected]
OWASCO — The Cayuga County Legislature on Tuesday voiced its support for closing the Seneca Meadows landfill at the end of the year. The landfill, which is located in neighboring Seneca County and the largest in New York, is scheduled to close this year. However, Seneca Meadows is seeking to extend its permit by 15 years and expand the landfill in the towns of Seneca Falls and Waterloo.
Seneca Meadows must get several regulatory approvals to continue operating the landfill, but there is significant opposition to its proposal. Before the county Legislature voted on its resolution, speakers from Cayuga Climate Action spoke in support of the measure. Dominic Gambaiani, the group's co-founder, explained that while the landfill directly impacts Seneca County, it also affects Cayuga County.
"The landfill expansion would jeopardize water quality in our region, see increased truck traffic and wear and tear on our roads, and threaten the scenic vistas, agritourism and bountiful clean air and water throughout the Finger Lakes region," Gambaiani said. Rebecca Ruggles, a Ledyard resident who is also a member of Cayuga Climate Action, told the Legislature she is concerned about landfill in the Finger Lakes that accepts "more than our fair share of the solid waste of this state." Other counties in the region, Ruggles noted, have passed resolutions supporting the closure of Seneca Meadows.
"We are bearing some costs associated with having our neighboring county host this facility," she said. "It's not only just an eyesore, which it is, but a health hazard." Legislator Heidi Nightengale, D-Auburn, introduced the resolution.
She outlined the issues related to the landfill's operation, including the truck traffic that has long been a problem in many Finger Lakes communities. Nightengale acknowledged there would be costs to transport trash elsewhere. However, she is also concerned about the environmental impact of the landfill.
"I ran on environmental issues," Nightengale said. "I have grandnieces and nephews who live in the Finger Lakes. I don't want to pass this problem on to them.
" Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Anna, I-Sterling, said he was "on the fence," but ultimately supported the resolution. Legislator Mark Strong, R-Moravia, was also initially unsure of how he would vote, but said he opposed the resolution because there's no plan for where the trash will go if Seneca Meadows closes. Legislator Hans Pecher, C-Genoa, criticized the resolution because, he said, the county is not ready to take on waste disposal.
The resolution passed by a 7 to 2 vote, with Pecher and Strong casting the no votes. Legislator Aileen McNabb-Coleman abstained due to her employment — she is state Sen. Rachel May's Cayuga County constituent liaison.
Legislator Stephanie DeVito did not attend the meeting. After the Legislature approved the resolution, copies will be sent to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, state Assemblyman John Lemondes, May, the Seneca County Board of Supervisors, the Seneca Falls Zoning Board of Appeals and the town boards in Seneca Falls and Waterloo. Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 664-4631 or robert.
[email protected] . Follow him on X @RobertHarding.
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