Recent newspaper stories have mentioned Ontario County residents questioning whether the county Board of Supervisors has a conflict of interest which should prevent it from being the lead agency (instead of the Department of Environmental Conservation) in the latest 50 percent expansion of the county landfill.
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Despite what appeared to be an obvious conflict arising from the county’s lucrative management contract with Casella Waste, the board resolved the question by appointing itself lead agency. The larger questions concern whether the board really represents the citizens of Ontario County on landfill issues and, if not, why do these supervisors continue to be elected?
The Environmental Assessment Form for this project contains some important facts: The project area is 100 acres including construction of about 40 additional acres of liner area. The expansion will generate three to four million additional gallons of leachate per year, which will be taken to the wastewater treatment plant at the Canandaigua Outlet. The landfill generated over 16 million gallons of “primary leachate” in 2010, and some of it is still being trucked to Geneva for treatment and discharge into Seneca Lake. There are three streams contiguous to the project area. The anticipated rate of disposal will be 77,500 tons per month. The expansion will involve placing waste up to 150 to 180 feet above current grades in the expansion area. Objectionable odors will occur routinely. Excavation for mining purposes of more than 1,000 tons of natural material will occur. Some of the excavation may occur off site, with resulting additional truck traffic. Truck traffic would also increase due to hauling of additional leachate.
The form concedes there is a “minor” risk associated with the release of leachate “to the environment” if an accident occurs.
This is the “gold,” the “treasure” which Canandaigua supervisor David Baker described during discussions about accepting sewage sludge from Suffolk County. Many people in the City of Geneva and others downstream and downwind from the dump don’t consider things like industrial solid waste and sewage sludge to be “treasure.”
The people of Canandaigua and the west end of Ontario County should wake up and question their supervisors about why this ongoing infusion of poison into the heart of Ontario County should continue. There is no more important issue for the county’s future. Supervisors who continue to support landfill expansion should be voted out.
SAM C. BONNEY
Geneva
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