The Seneca Falls Town Board was asked this week to deny an operating permit for the Seneca Meadows Landfill.
Waterloo Container Spokesman Mark Pitifer addressed the board and talked about odor problems from the landfill. Waterloo Container is located across Route 414 from the landfill.
Pitifer says the company records indicate that more than 23% of their workdays in June and July were marked by unbearable odors. . On one occasion, some employees became ill due to the intense and persistent odors and landfill gas.
Waste Connections, the Texas-based company that operates the landfill, is waiting to hear from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation about an application to expand the landfill.
Waterloo Container Statement
Good evening, Supervisor Schmitter, Town Manager Soscia, and members of the Seneca Falls Town Board. My name is Mark Pitifer, and I am here speaking tonight on behalf of Bill Lutz and the Waterloo Container Company, one of the largest employers in Seneca County.
I am here tonight to address a pressing issue that has continued to adversely affect Waterloo Container and our employees since our last discussion in May. Despite our previous conversations, and all combined efforts, the odor problems stemming from the Seneca Meadows Landfill persist, and the situation has not gotten better.
Over the past two months, our records indicate that more than 23% of our workdays in June and July were marked by unbearable odors. This issue has had severe repercussions for our operations and our staff. On one occasion, some employees became ill due to the intense and persistent odors and landfill gas from SMI.
Additionally, on a day when we had the honor of hosting a New York State Senator for a tour and discussion, the offensive smell significantly detracted from the importance of the visit and caused notable, and embarrassing disruption. Furthermore, a food truck event intended to enhance our employees’ workday a few weeks ago was spoiled by the same odor problem.
On days where we called in odor complaints to SMI, and reported odor to the town, Seneca Falls town zoning officials came on-site to Waterloo Container and confirmed the presence of landfill odor at our business. Yet, the SMI designated employee sent to investigate the odor complaint 100% of the time in the last few months has said “No-Odor”. Either the employee is “nose-blind” to the smell or is otherwise unable to accurately assess the situation. Keep in mind, the reports generated by the landfill are the ones being sent to the DEC. This is a disservice to the town, per the HCA, if SMI detects “no odor” then they don’t have to follow the steps outlined in the HCA to mitigate the problem. These actions raise serious questions about the accuracy and reliability of the odor monitoring conducted by the landfill.
Our primary concern remains the health, safety, and well-being of our employees. Given the persistent issues and the apparent lack of reliable monitoring, we strongly believe that the local operating permit for Seneca Meadows Landfill should not be approved. The ongoing and severe odor problems are detrimental to our business operations and pose a significant risk to our employees’ health.
We urge the Town Board to consider these pressing issues and deny the local operating permit for Seneca Meadows Landfill. Our community’s well-being must be safeguarded, and we trust that you will take the necessary steps to protect us. I’d like to leave you with a quote from an article from June of 2024 in the Environmental Science and Technology Letter, an online publication, which listed the United States Environmental Protection agency, or EPA as one of its sources for this article, the statement is as follows; “PFAS or (forever) chemicals have been linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, developmental problems in children and a tide of other harmful health effects.” It goes on to say that “it is clear that landfill gas carries forever chemicals (PFAS), this is no longer debatable.”
It has been reported that The National Cancer Institute (NCI) study found that lung cancer cases in Seneca County, New York from 2016 to 2020 were 31% higher than the state average and 34% higher than the national average. And that, the state Department of Health (DOH) identified a “lung cancer cluster” in the census tracts surrounding SMI in previous studies.
Please, for the sake of the children of this community and the future of Seneca Falls, deny this permit, uphold your town codes, and protect the health and wellbeing of the citizens of this community. Thank you
