A public hearing has been scheduled to discuss the potential expansion of the Albany City landfill, and local environmental advocates are speaking out against it, calling it a money-making scheme.
The City of Albany landfill could spread into unprotected land of the Pine Bush Preserve, but city officials say it is planning to restore some wetlands to mitigate the effect of an expansion.
The project calls for the expansion of the existing landfill on Rapp Road in Guilderland, into city-owned lands to the east, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the organization overseeing the potential expansion.
A public hearing slated for Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Polish Community Center has been moved to Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The expansion could extend the life of the landfill for more than six years, according to the DEC environmental notice bulletin, filed Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Some environmental advocates oppose the expansion, citing it as unsound.
Lynne Jackson a representative of Save the Pine Bush, an advocacy group opposing the expansion, penned a letter to the DEC on behalf of the organization.
She said people need more time to study the proposal. Jackson said there are at least 5,000 pages of documents related to the landfill.
She emphasized the importance of the Pine Bush Preserve, saying it represents one of only 20 inland pine barren ecosystems.
`Our little Pine Bush is a very special place,` Jackson said.
She said the DEC determined that the landfill should not expand any further after its 1991 expansion. Since then, she said, it has already expanded twice, and this could be the third. The last expansion was in February 1999.
The Save the Pine Bush organization was involved in a lawsuit to prevent that expansion, although it was unsuccessful.
Constant expansion of the landfill does not encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle, Jackson said. She also said the landfill’s last expansion was supposed to last until 2015.
`I want to know why it filled up so fast,` Jackson said. `Right now garbage is a money-making proposition.`
Nicholas J. D’Antonio, commissioner of the Albany City Department of General Services said the landfill is required to limit its intake to 1,050 tons per day, and so far there has been no plan to raise that number.
He said the landfill takes in close to $11 million per year for Albany City.
He added that the tipping rates were raised in June from $40 to $47.67 per ton, and a change in that number could alter the total funds generated from the landfill.
`The market dictates where we should be as far as tipping,` D’Antonio added.
Colonie resident Tom Lutz said the city is looking for too much more room.
`They’re looking for a whopping 23 acres,` he said. `It’s a sizable footprint. It looks like its just a money-making scheme.`
Lutz said he is fearful the city will bring trash from other areas outside of the Capital District, specifically Downstate.
D’Antonio said that there is currently no plan to add Downstate localities to the landfill.
He responded to critics of the landfill citing it as something that saves taxpayers money.
`We would be criticized if, in fact, we didn’t make money and cost the taxpayers money. We’re running a good operation. You can’t have it both ways,` he said.
Lutz also said he is concerned with trash towers that could be located on site that would reach as tall as 400 feet.
He recommended that some of the municipalities consider using a newer landfill, such as the one recently located in Washington County.
Lutz said he has brought the matter to the attention of those in his town and some have responded. Colonie does not use the landfill.
`It could cause odors that could go a considerable distance,` including parts of Colonie, he said.
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