When the Seneca County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing Tuesday on its Draft Solid Waste Management Plan, residents living around the Seneca Meadows Landfill took the opportunity to advocate for its closure.
The landfill is set to close in 2025; however, Waste Connections, which operates the landfill, is seeking a permit to continue operations through 2040.
What role does the county play in the decision on whether or not to grant the permit? Board of Supervisors Chair Mike Enslow, speaking on FLX Morning with Ted Baker, said the decision is up to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“The DEC, the state, [it’s] their program. They’re the ones that are controlling that approval. The town can do things too, to a certain extent, but the county has no active role in this.”
Enslow added that the board is working to invite DEC representatives to county meetings so they can hear what residents have to say firsthand.
“People want to be heard and they should be heard.”
Last month, the board approved a resolution urging the DEC to investigate the potential adverse impacts the continued operation of the facility would have on Seneca County.
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