Residents in the towns of Perinton and Macedon have been complaining about strong odors coming from the High Acres Landfill since last year.
Waste Management says it's working to resolve the issue.
Macedon residents were invited to an information session to gain a better understanding about the landfill.
“Since last August, there was quite a few times when I’d be out walking the dog or doing something outside and I could smell the landfill, so we made the effort to come out here and say what are you doing? You’ve got to get it fixed? They’ve been doing a great job doing just that,” said Paul Kenyon, Deputy Supervisor for Macedon.
“We saw an uptick in odor complaints towards the end of last year and they peaked early this year and are starting to subside and we think some of that has to do with the improvements they’re making out at the site,” said Steve Poggi, Area Director of Disposal Operations for Waste Management.
The landfill has been there for 40 years, and 12 years ago, the town went into an agreement with Waste Management. Kenyon says the landfill generates 30 percent of the town’s revenue.
“Waste Management sets the bar for landfill operations across the state and really does a great job of taking care of what needs to be done here, and I expect it to continue,” added Kenyon.
While some residents feel confident in Waste Management’s plan, others don't think the odors will ever be fully resolved.
“The odor problem has been there really for years and they have not addressed it at all. The landfill odor situation is completely out of control and I don’t think they can handle it and I don’t have a whole lot of faith that they’ll be able to control it,” said Jerry Hefley, a resident.
“Our goal is we made a commitment to both the towns of Perinton and Macedon to stay focused on what we need to do here and make sure that we’re managing the gas adequately, so that we’re not letting odors leave the site. If there’s additional work that needs to be done, we’re committed to go ahead and do that,” added Poggi.
Poggi says there will be some intermittent odors on occasion because it is a waste facility, but the work Waste Management is doing to resolve the consistent strong odor issue is expected to be completed by the end of April.