Public commenters, Ulster officials and Sullivan legislators spar over proposed Ulster landfill; resolution sent to executive committee

Sullivan County Public Works Committee members heard extended public and expert testimony Tuesday on a proposed landfill in neighboring Ulster County and moved a local resolution to the county executive committee for further review.

The discussion drew residents, Ulster County officials and Sullivan legislators who disagreed on whether the landfill site should be opposed outright, whether regional cooperation was a better path and how local waste-to-energy options should factor into planning.

The matter drew sustained public comment because speakers said the proposed Ulster County site is near the Sullivan border and would affect water, traffic and local tourism. Rebecca Kreshkoff, a resident who identified herself as living in the town of Calacun, told the committee the draft resolution used language she considered inaccurate about hydrology and soil studies and urged careful review. "How do you know? That's an unsupported statement," Kreshkoff said during public comment.

Other residents raised similar objections. Poppy Cannon Reese said she and neighbors collected 593 petition signatures opposing the landfill, described repeated guardrail damage and said the site would harm property values and quality of life for second-home owners and seasonal tourists. "This is not the right location," she said.

Ulster County officials urged regional cooperation rather than adversarial resolutions. Mark Ryder, executive director of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, said Seneca Meadows and other landfills face capacity and permitting limits and that solid-waste options are narrowing statewide. Ryder described ongoing efforts at reuse and diversion and cautioned that both landfills and combustible waste-to-energy facilities are "disfavored" by New York's climate and waste plans. "We need to work on regional solutions," he said.

Kevin Roberts, minority leader of the Ulster County Legislature, said neighboring counties had previously passed resolutions opposing landfill siting near their borders and that taking a stand was appropriate. "When that landfill, if it's built, you will be able to see that from Sullivan County," Roberts said.

Sullivan County legislators expressed mixed views on the draft. Legislator Terry Bernardo said she introduced the resolution because residents in border towns including Wawarsing oppose a landfill in Ulster and that the county should speak against the proposal. Other legislators urged amending or softening the text, seeking more study, or pursuing collaborative regional planning with Ulster rather than an oppositional posture. Committee Chair Joe Perillo said the language might be reworded and that the measure could be discussed further before final action.

After debate, the committee agreed not to vote on a final opposition motion and instead referred the resolution (and related resolutions) to the legislature's executive committee for additional review and revision. Committee members said referral would allow staff to work with legislators on clarifying language and gather more technical information about environmental impacts and alternative solutions.

Speakers and commenters urged alternatives including intensified recycling, regional composting, and reuse-innovation centers. Several speakers warned against waste-to-energy incineration, citing concerns about air pollution and "forever chemicals," while others said modern engineered landfills incorporate leachate collection and treatment systems.

The committee did not adopt a final policy position at the meeting and directed further analysis and possible wording changes before returning a proposal to the full legislature or to a future committee meeting.

Ending: The committee's referral means the county has not taken a final position; the executive committee will review the draft resolution, technical studies and public comments before any formal vote is scheduled.