It’s the site of waste -- and controversy.
After what the state calls a rigorous review, the Colonie landfill is set to get bigger. The landfill is receiving all the permits it needs to expand.
The State Department of Enviornmental Conservation tells Spectrum News it determined Waste Connection Inc.’s application to be in compliance with all state rules and regulations concerned with waste and landfill operations.
On April 5, four permits were issued, including Solid Waste Management, Freshwater Wetland, Water Quality certification, and Air Title V.
According to the DEC, the permit requires the project be scaled back to 500 feet from the river, which is 400 feet further than originally proposed, and limited to a maximum height 50 feet lower than originally proposed.
In March, Spectrum News learned Riverkeeper samples taken near the landfill found contamination as high as 519 parts per trillion. The state responded to those results and said they found no detected impacts to drinking water intakes downstream of the landfill.