SF residents’ health, safety should be priority over SMI

To the Editor:

At the Oct. 3 meeting, the Seneca Falls town board voted to approve the controversial Memorandum of Understanding between the town and New York state’s largest landfill, Seneca Meadows, which outlines new conditions for the dump in the event it receives approval to extend its operations through 2040.

The proposed extension would also allow the landfill to expand its footprint by an additional 47 acres and increase its height by 70 feet. This decision gives a false nod of approval to the Department of Environmental Conservation and directly contradicts the wishes of our community. It is a glaring example of how some members of the town board have chosen to prioritize a powerful multibillion-dollar corporation over the well-being and concerns of its residents.

An influx of cash to the town each year that Seneca Meadows continues its operations doesn’t make up for the decimated quality of our environment, air, and water; lost revenue from our thriving agritourism economy; and our community’s health, wellbeing, and longevity.

Waste Connections is in violation of the current host community agreement, which states that “Seneca Meadows will not seek vertical or lateral expansion of its facility to treat, store, dispose or transport solid waste after the year 2025.” How can we possibly trust Waste Connections to fulfill any host agreement when they have so shamelessly violated the current one?

It is also worth noting that town supervisor Mike Ferrara’s handling of the landfill issue has been marked with a lack of transparency and a failure to effectively communicate with residents. His actions, such as negotiating the Host Community Agreement behind closed doors and consulting his brother instead of his fellow town board members during negotiations, raise questions about his intentions and motives for Seneca Falls.

For years, residents of Seneca Falls and surrounding communities have been raising concerns about the environmental impact, odor problems, and health risks associated with the landfill. Our drinking water is contaminated with harmful chemicals. Our county’s lung cancer rates are 31% higher than the state’s average. The region’s schools are less than three miles from the landfill. Unfortunately, these pressing concerns have fallen on deaf ears, and Ferrara and State leaders have failed to take decisive action to address them.

And even though they are clearly incapable of controlling their current pile of garbage, Seneca Meadows has filed for a permit to expand the landfill. The foul and pervasive odor — not to mention the degradation of our air and water quality — is likely to only get worse.

It is high time that we prioritize the health and safety of our residents over the interests of a multi-billion-dollar waste management corporation. Let us demand that our elected officials listen to our concerns, act with transparency, and work diligently to protect our community from the adverse effects of an expanded landfill.

VALERIE SANDLAS

Seneca Falls