Opponents of the continued operation of the Seneca Meadows Landfill rallied outside the Seneca Falls Town Municipal Building ahead of Tuesday night’s monthly town board meeting. The group gathered to protest last month’s decision by the board to approve a permit and agreement for the Seneca Meadows landfill to continue operations. Despite the town’s approval, final approval for the future of the landfill lies in the hands of Governor Kathy Hochul and the DEC.
By a vote of 4 to 1, the town board voted to grant Seneca Meadows Incorporated, the operator of the state’s largest landfill, a new host community agreement. The agreement would pave the way for the town to receive about $150 million until 2040. The town board also granted the landfill operator an operating permit by a 3 to 2 vote.
Seneca Meadows has applied to the state DEC for a state permit to continue operating through 2040. That decision has been delayed multiple times. Seneca Meadows is the largest landfill in New York State, capable of handling up to 6,000 tons of waste daily.
Those who showed up to protest Tuesday night said the town board’s vote misrepresents public sentiment within the Seneca Community. They added last month’s vote in favor of the landfill and its Texas-based operator, Waste Connections, holds major consequences for the air, water, and overall health of the Finger Lakes region and beyond.
“Seneca Falls residents of all stripes, from parents and teachers to business owners, showed up in force tonight to protest the Town Board’s capitulation to Waste Connections and demand they correct their error,” said Yvonne Taylor, Co-Founder and Vice President of Seneca Lake Guardian. “This vote mistakenly sends a message to the DEC that the Town supports the landfill’s expansion, when in fact, the vast majority do not. The Town Board must rethink its position, and represent the will of its constituents.”
Following the March 4th votes, Town Clerk Melissa Brown deemed them to be invalid after it was determined the town board failed to properly introduce or second resolutions relating to the permit. However, Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter has refuted the invalidation, claiming that the vote is valid.
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