As many of you know, Ontario County owns the county landfill and has contracted its management to Casella Waste Systems. The current permit, which began in 2003, ends in 2028. To prepare for this eventuality, the Board of Supervisors hired MSW Consultants and some other waste experts to prepare a report to identify possible strategies for waste management post 2028. The draft of the “Waste Alternatives Analysis” report was posted Aug. 22, 2024, and the public was invited to comment.
The Ontario County website reads: “The report outlines alternative scenarios for refuse management, including expansion of the current landfill, siting a new landfill, incineration, landfill closure, and development of a transfer station for hauling waste to landfill sites outside Ontario County.” Unfortunately, I think the experts partially missed the bigger picture partly because the BOS’ charge asked them to focus mainly on the cost of these different options. While the cost of waste disposal has always been a concern, this was an opportunity to bring into play some additional topics that are very appropriate to the discussion of the future of waste disposal for our residents and businesses in the county.
Nevertheless, the BOS and MSW deserve credit for crunching the numbers and providing a foundation on which to take the next step. And that step should........