Monday, February 6, 2023
Subscriber Login
My Profile
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Towns Colonie

Colonie wins a round in landfill legal battle

Jim Franco by Jim Franco
December 4, 2018
in Colonie, Government, News, Towns
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A neighborhood in Waterford on other side of the Mohawk River as seen from the top of the Colonie Landfill. 
Jim Franco / Spotlight News

A neighborhood in Waterford on other side of the Mohawk River as seen from the top of the Colonie Landfill. Jim Franco / Spotlight News

#ColonieLandfill #JimFranco #SpotlightNews

ALBANY ­— Colonie won round one of a lawsuit looking to stop expansion of the landfill.

Acting state Supreme Court Judge Debora Young, after hearing oral arguments, ruled from the bench on Wednesday, Nov. 28, and denied a motion to stop expansion work at the landfill off Route 9.

“That would have been a temporary stop if they succeeded but it was denied outright in the courtroom,” said Colonie Senior Attorney John Spath. “The nature of a preliminary injunction is looking for something to stop and there are certain elements you have to prove and it is pretty high bar.”

The liner of the landfill’s new cell. Jim Franco / Spotlight News

The lawsuit brought by the towns of Waterford and Halfmoon to stop the expansion is still pending but Wednesday’s ruling just means that construction of a new cell in Latham can continue while the legalities are battled out in Albany.

In April, after nearly four years of deliberation, public comment and modifications, the state Department of Environmental Conservation gave Colonie permission to expand the landfill located between Route 9 and the Mohawk River by about 93 acres.

Known as Area 7, cells will be at least 500 feet from the river instead of 400 feet as initially proposed, and the expansion upward will reach 467 feet above sea level, 50 feet lower than the town wanted. About 23 acres will be new ground while the remaining acreage will be vertically, over the top of Areas 1 through 6.

Also, the DEC is requiring a third party be onsite to monitor all activities at the landfill. Waste Connections, the company who is under contract with the town to operate the landfill, will pay for the monitor.

Without the expansion, the 212-acre, 50-year-old landfill would have been filled to the DEC-permitted capacity by the end of this year. The additional acreage will keep it open until at least 2038.

Kubricky Construction, of Latham, is currently building Phase 1, a seven-acre “hole” to the south of the transfer station — to the right up the hill from Route 9 — and will have a life of about two and a half years, said Matt McGarry, an engineer for the town who oversees the landfill, and then the next 12- to 15-acre cell will be constructed.

Despite accounts to the contrary, McGarry said 90 percent of the waste brought to the landfill is from municipalities in four surrounding counties — Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer and Schenectady — including Waterford and Halfmoon.

The expansion comes at a time when the City of Albany’s landfill on Rapp Road has limited the amount of trash it will take as it nears its permitted capacity, and part of DEC’s decision to allow the expansion is the area’s need to dispose of

Engineer Mat McGarry stands in front of the new landfill cell. Jim Franco / Spotlight News

trash in an economically feasible manner.

The amount of daily trash will not increase — up to 820 tons per day based on a 25-day average and not to exceed 255,840 ton per year  — but will allow it to continue existing operations for a longer period of time. To put it into perspective, the tonnage per year equals about the weight of 12,790 Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks.

There is up to eight million cubic yards of trash buried there now — which equals about 3.2 million pickup trucks full of garbage.

Basically, the lawsuit, filed in May, claims the DEC failed to take into account the seriousness of the threat presented by piling more garbage on top of the unlined sections of the landfill and the threat that poses to the nearby Mohawk River.

Residents of those two towns — and residents in Colonie too — have long complained about odors emanating from the landfill.

It is unclear when Young will rule on the merits of Waterford and Halfmoon’s lawsuit. Spath said all the paperwork has been filed, and the judge may or may not want to hear oral arguments. A decision on whether or not to nullify the DEC permit could come as soon as early next year, Spath said.

Waterford is represented by attorney Leah Everheart, while Halfmoon is represented by David Engle.

Tags: colonieColonie landfill
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Woman charged with hate crime for allegedly stealing from disabled while they skated in Colonie

Next Post

Police: Arrested Guilderland man used counterfeit cash, resisted arrest, started police chase

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

Recent News

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter January 31st – February 1st

February 5, 2023

Bethlehem Area Weekly Police Blotter January 31st – February 1st

February 4, 2023
Spotlight News lists calls from Delmar, Elsmere, North Bethlehem, Slingerlands and Selkirk fire companies. These department are comprised of local volunteers. Please consider serving your neighbors as a volunteer firefighter. This data is compiled from the Town of Bethlehem Communications Center.

Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Log Jan. 20 – Jan. 27

February 4, 2023
Colonie High School (Photo by Jim Franco/Spotlight News)

Planning underway for Next Generation Colonie

February 3, 2023

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Fear to Storm Cheerleading Competition at Saratoga High School on Saturday, Jan. 28.

SPOTTED: Cheer from Bethlehem and Colonie at Fear the Storm Competition

January 31, 2023
Bethlhem, Guilderland and Shaker Gymnastics travelled to Saratoga on Friday, Jan. 13.

SPOTTED: Bethlehem, Guilderland, Shaker and Saratoga compete at qualifying meet

January 16, 2023

SPOTTED: Colonie wrestlers fall to Saratoga 49-18 

January 24, 2023

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter January 31st – February 1st

February 5, 2023

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter January 31st – February 1st

February 5, 2023

Bethlehem Area Weekly Police Blotter January 31st – February 1st

February 4, 2023
Spotlight News lists calls from Delmar, Elsmere, North Bethlehem, Slingerlands and Selkirk fire companies. These department are comprised of local volunteers. Please consider serving your neighbors as a volunteer firefighter. This data is compiled from the Town of Bethlehem Communications Center.

Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Log Jan. 20 – Jan. 27

February 4, 2023
Colonie High School (Photo by Jim Franco/Spotlight News)

Planning underway for Next Generation Colonie

February 3, 2023
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Election 2022
  • News
    • Crime and Police
    • Fire Departments
    • Milestones
    • Real Estate and Housing
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Theatre
    • Music
    • Food and Drink
    • Health & Fitness
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login
    • Service Directory
    • Hire Power – Employer Spotlight
  • Capital District Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
  • Log In
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949