Albany County committee approves amended environmental determination for Sludge Processing Improvement Project after DEC rejects consolidation plan

The Albany County Conservation, Sustainability and Green Initiatives Committee approved an amended Type I environmental determination with a negative declaration for the Sludge Processing Improvement Project after county staff said the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) disapproved the plan to consolidate sludge operations by piping material from the South plant to the North plant.

Executive Director Angelo Gaudio told the committee the initial consolidation concept—to pump liquid sludge from the South plant to the North plant for processing—was rejected by DEC because of concerns the North plant incinerators could not…