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UCRRA reports PFAS testing on leachate, recruitment for compliance counsel and tour invitations for proposed reuse center
Summary
Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency director updated the committee on leachate sampling for PFAS/PFOA, preliminary recycling compliance work, paint-collection expansion and invitations to tour a prospective Reuse Innovation Center property; the agency said it had not taken county taxpayer funds since 2011.
Mark Bridal, director of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA), briefed the committee on a range of operational items including leachate testing, compliance work with haulers and plans for a Reuse Innovation Center.
Bridal said engineers had been asked to test landfill leachate for PFOA/PFAS compounds in response to a Riverkeeper report and that the agency had collected samples and was awaiting lab results. He said the county currently trucks leachate to the Kingston Wastewater Treatment Plant and that annual volumes vary with rainfall; he gave a working figure of "somewhere between 4,000,000 gallons" in wetter years.
On recycling compliance, Bridal said a compliance officer has begun discussions with several haulers, delaying license approvals until noncompliance issues were addressed; in multifamily housing cases, the officer worked with landlords to ensure tenants are offered recycling services. Bridal said the agency is not yet at the stage of administrative hearings and that hiring in-house agency counsel is a next step to address persistent noncompliance.
Bridal also invited committee members to tour a potential Reuse Innovation Center building and said the agency will present reuse and diversion programming details to interested legislators. He noted the agency has not sought taxpayer funds since February 2011 and that the agency uses tipping fees to cover operations; however, the agency expects to present a specific funding request next month for the reuse-innovation project.
Bridal described MRDC meetings and efforts to expand paint-care collection sites, noting Sullivan County converted all county transfer stations into collection sites; UCRRA hopes to expand similar services through local MRDCs.
Ending: UCRRA is awaiting lab results on PFAS/PFOA in leachate, pursuing compliance work with haulers and landlords, and preparing further information and site tours regarding the Reuse Innovation Center; the agency said it will report back as results and next steps are available.
