A protest took place in the Finger Lakes on Wednesday outside the state's largest landfill.

Demonstrators don't want Seneca Meadows, which sits between Seneca Falls and Waterloo, to stay open or expand. The state DEC will make the call on whether the landfill renews its license or grows.

The operator of the facility is proposing a 15-year deal with Seneca Falls. It would also raise the profile of the facility by 70 feet.

Seneca Meadows receives nearly a third of New York City's trash. Opponents of the landfill are concerned about air and water quality, and its effect on tourism and the region's wine industry.

Landfill officials say constant testing there ensures safety.

“I ask people where they're coming from and then as they drive down Route 20, coming off the Thruway, and they smell the dump, or they're staying at a local resident's. They're like, 'what's that smell? Horrible,'" said Heather Bonetti of Seneca Falls.

“The environmental monitoring and those requirements are met every day, every month, every quarter, every year," said Kyle Black, district manager for Seneca Meadows landfill. "Transparency has always been that way with Seneca Meadows. You can see us for miles. That's about as transparent as it gets.”

A new Seneca Meadows host agreement would deliver more than $10 million a year to the town of Seneca Falls.

The facility employs about 100 people.  

Opponents want it closed by 2025.

More hearings are scheduled to take place before the state makes its decision on the 40-year-old landfill.