Solid waste briefing: HHW grant application, municipal cleanups and regional discussions on alternatives to landfills

Sullivan County solid waste staff told the committee they are applying for state Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) reimbursement and outlined municipal cleanup programs and other ongoing efforts while members of the public urged caution on waste‑to‑energy proposals and pressed for packaging reduction measures.

Mark, a solid waste staff member, said the county is applying to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reimbursement to cover roughly 50% of HHW expenses and that the county will request about $26,000 of state funding from an approximately $50,000 total program allocation. Cassie, who works on the program, is described as organizing two collection dates (one spring, one fall) and preparing grant paperwork.

Staff briefed legislators on municipal cleanups the county funds for towns. The program was described as covering a baseline allocation (staff called it about $5,000 for this year) with towns charged current tipping fees if they exceed allotted tonnage. Staff said they will notify towns in advance if costs will exceed the allocation.

Other operational details staff described: cardboard hauling and single‑stream recycling costs (staff reported paying about $75 per ton for cardboard and $60 per ton for single stream last month), steps toward virtual load inspections keyed to DEC mandates, and a paint collection rollout—bins for latex and oil‑based paint have been placed at all stations.

Staff said the Hudson Valley Regional Council convenes a materials‑management working group this month and will include a vendor presentation on gasification; staff described the meeting as an information briefing with neighboring counties participating. The county also discussed potential enforcement of its flow‑control law for solid waste and the need to coordinate with the sheriff's office on enforcement options.

Public commenters raised concerns and proposals. Star Hesse distributed materials disputing characterization of residuals from waste‑to‑energy as "clean" and asked whether county staff monitor emissions from downwind communities. Star requested clarity on whether the solid‑waste committee meetings allow public comment; staff said residents may attend but that committee meetings do not include public discussion time.

Rebecca Kreshkoff, a resident of the Town of Delaware, urged the legislature to support the statewide Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, citing estimates that packaging constitutes about 40% of New York municipal solid waste and arguing that the bill would reduce waste and create recycling infrastructure and jobs. A legislator replied that they would move to get that matter started in committee.

Ending: Staff said they will finalize HHW grant applications, publish municipal cleanup dates once procurement concludes, and continue coordination with regional partners on materials‑management options. Public commenters asked the county to publish monitoring data and to include alternatives that reduce waste generation in upcoming discussions.