WATERLOO, N.Y. — The owner of the biggest landfill in New York state is asking regulators to make it even bigger. In the Finger Lakes, a group of residents is trying to stop the expansion of Seneca Meadows Landfill — even they know it’s an uphill battle.
If the squeaky wheel truly gets the grease, then the crowd gathered in Seneca Falls recently hopes what they’re saying is heard.
“I’m frustrated with the dump and its politics, big and small, that we have here in our own town,” said Heather Bonetti, a teacher and resident who joined the protest.
Seneca Meadows is already the largest landfill in New York state. The Department of Environmental Conservation permit to operate is up in 2025. Owner Waste Connections has applied for a renewal through 2040, which includes an expansion that would see the very top of the dump grow 70 feet higher, and 47 acres of new landfill liner in a valley between two already existing slopes.
“We have basically exhausted the airspace,” said Kyle Black, Seneca Meadows Landfill District Manager. “There's a huge need for waste disposal.”
The landfill sits between the villages of Seneca Falls and Waterloo — an area considered a gateway to the Finger Lakes. Opponents packed a recent meeting where Waste Connections officials explained their expansion plans. Some complain about the smell of the landfill.
“No odor, no odor, no odor, no odor, not aware of the situation,” said Bonetti, of the response she received when she called to complain. “Yeah, it's amazing how magically once you call and complain that it instantly goes away.
Others worry about air and water quality. Black assured residents there’s no water contamination, and says his team follows strict regulations set forth by the DEC.
“The environmental monitoring, those requirements are met every day, every month, every quarter, every year,” said Black. “Transparency has always been that way. Seneca Meadows, you can see us for miles. That's about as transparent as it gets.”
Landfill supporters in the crowd point to charitable contributions and millions of dollars in host fees paid to the towns each year.
“I liken it to cocaine,” said Steve Churchill, the lone member of the Seneca Falls Town Board who opposes the expansion. “People in the community are addicted to the money that the landfill injects into the area. It’s God ugly. It's a terrible blight on the landscape.”
The landfill employs about 100 people, and Seneca Meadows officials say it’s responsible for generating about $72 million for the local economy annually. Just a small percentage of the trash buried in the landfill is local. Large trucks haul tons of trash to the dump each day. About a third of it comes from New York City.
“We handle that waste that everybody puts on the curb,” said Black. “That's what we do. We don't generate it. We pick it up and we manage it in the proper way.”
“You can put lipstick on a pig,” said Churchill. “But it's still a dump.”
Those who say the landfill should be closed point to a 2016 vote in which the Seneca Falls Town Board passed a local law that said the dump must close by 2025. In June, after Seneca Meadows fought it, a judge overturned it.
“I wish I could say I feel very hopeful,” said Bonetti. “I'm proud of the small gathering that we have. Unfortunately, we have that money, greed, and people take it."
Additional hearings are scheduled before state regulators make their final decision on the landfill’s future. The DEC will schedule the next meeting on the Seneca Meadows proposed expansion once an environmental impact study is finalized.