The Schuyler County Legislature will vote at its October
meeting on a resolution opposing a proposed solid waste materials recovery
facility in the county.
The
resolution passed the legislature’s Community Development and Natural ResourcesCommittee in draft form on Tuesday (September 29, 2020). It calls upon the Department of Environmental Conservation to reject the proposal of Alternative Waste Services Inc. for a
facility in the Town of Cayuta, pending a revised application, additional
public comment and “a full, fair and exhaustive environmental review of this
project.”
According
to the draft resolution, Alternative Waste Services has proposed building a
10,575 square foot materials recovery facility off NYS Route 13 that would
accept municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris and
source-separated recyclables. The
proposal is awaiting final DEC approval.
Earlier in September, DEC waived a
full environmental impact statement after finding that the project would result
in no significant adverse impacts on the environment.
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Schuyler County Legislature
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However,
in response to public concern, county officials reviewed the documents
submitted to DEC and noted areas of concern with the current application,
“which appear to be unaddressed or insufficiently addressed by the DEC review,”
the draft resolution notes. Among the
public concerns cited in the draft resolution are that the facility could have
potential negative impacts on tourism, agriculture and human health due to
truck traffic and water pollution, as well as worries about possible
expansion. Therefore, the draft
resolution requests that Alternative Waste Services submit a revised
application to address legitimate areas of concern prior to any DEC decision on
the project.
Prior
to passing the draft resolution, the committee heard from members of the public
who spoke for and against the proposed facility, including a member of the
Cayuta Town Board, a representative of Alternative Waste Services and a speaker
from Seneca Lake Guardian, a nonprofit advocacy group.
The
draft resolution was submitted to the committee by County Planning Director Kristin VanHorn, with input from County Administrator Tim O’Hearn, CountyAttorney Steven Getman and Committee Chairman Mark Rondinaro.
The
full legislature will consider the resolution at its meeting Tuesday October
13, at 6:30 pm at the Schuyler County Human Services Complex in Montour Falls.
The public is invited to attend.
COVID-19 social distancing, crowd sizes and other safety measures will
be in place.
A
copy of the draft resolution is available here.
