Dive Brief:
- Casella Waste Systems has received approval for construction crews to work Sundays on the delayed expansion of its Ontario County Landfill in New York.
- The company agreed to install quieter back-up alarms on all vehicles to help mitigate noise levels. Every member of the county's board of supervisors voted in favor of the agreement, except one who was concerned that quieter alarms could endanger workers.
- A similar resolution approving Sunday work from Jan. 1 to April 30 had expired. The new authorization lasts until Oct. 30.
Dive Insight:
Casella's 43.5-acre expansion at the Seneca, NY landfill has been partially delayed due to the state permitting process. The Department of Environmental Conservation granted the final necessary permit in February. This new expansion will allow the site to operate until 2028.
A rejected variance application which would have allowed Casella to reduce the distance between the landfill's liner base and the bedrock from 10 feet to 5 feet has also slowed construction. The company had offered to use potential cost savings to fund the state's solid waste management plan and two hazardous waste collection days, but county officials weren't interested.
The company has had to maintain a delicate balance with this community at a heated time for waste issues in the Finger Lakes region. Local residents only generated 8.2% of the waste that ended up in the Ontario County landfill last year and many opposed the expansion. Residents in nearby Seneca County are currently protesting a proposal that would bring waste from New York City to a local landfill via train. In April, the county's board of supervisors voted unanimously to spend $100,000 on a law firm to stop the plan.
