Committee postpones resolution opposing Wawarsing landfill amid calls for more engineering studies

The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee on Feb. 4 considered Resolution 33, which would oppose establishment of a countywide landfill in the town of Wawarsing and urge exploration of alternatives. After more than an hour of committee and public discussion — including presentations by UCRA Director Ryder and the agency’s board chair — the committee voted to postpone the resolution for one month to allow the agency to continue engineering work and to provide study results and further documentation.

Sponsor Legislator Lopez said residents and the majority of Wawarsing officials oppose the two sites under consideration, citing risks to water, traffic and property values. Residents and local officials spoke at the meeting raising concerns about possible impacts to creeks and wells, increased truck traffic on rural roads, noise and odor, reduced property values and perceived lack of transparency in recent outreach.

Director Ryder outlined UCRA’s process to date: Cornerstone prepared an initial feasibility screening identifying five candidate sites countywide (two in Wawarsing, two in Plattekill and one in Esopus). Ryder said Cornerstone’s study was a GIS-based feasibility screen that did not include hydrology, soil borings or full engineering analyses; those more detailed studies are pending the selection of an engineering firm. Ryder cautioned that further engineering could rule all candidate sites out as infeasible.

Ryder also described constraints the agency faces: he noted ownership and protected lands (DEP, state forest land) reduce feasible acreage in the county; he said the agency has a contractual clause with the county (section 5.04) concerning non-interference and that state enabling statute provisions allow the agency to enter lands for engineering studies. He emphasized that the agency regards a landfill as a “place of last resort” and is pursuing diversion strategies including a Reuse Innovation Center and organics diversion. Ryder said UCRA will issue an RFP for alternative technologies (biogasification, anaerobic digestion and others) in the next two to three months.

Several legislators urged more engineering information. Legislator Nolan said hydrology and soil studies would provide a data-based reason to rule sites out and suggested the committee should review the Cornerstone and HydroQuest materials and any further engineering results. Legislator Litz cautioned that soil borings and hydraulic studies for two sites could exceed $100,000 and questioned the wisdom of that expense if the sites appear unviable. Several legislators and members of the public urged that host-community benefits, road impacts and potential eminent-domain issues be clarified before further steps. Director Ryder said DEC will not permit a landfill sited using eminent domain and that the agency does not want to import waste from outside Ulster County.

Following debate, a motion to postpone the resolution carried. The committee also discussed forming a subcommittee or using the full committee to review resumes for two upcoming UCRA board appointments and announced plans to continue dialogue on diversion investments (including a possible county budget amendment to support the Reuse Innovation Center).