"Seneca Meadows is running out of space and wants a new permit to grow by 47 acres. The plaintiffs say the landfill emits a foul odor and violates their rights under the state's so-called Green Amendment."
"ALBANY, N.Y.—A lawsuit filed today against Seneca Meadows Inc. and the state Department of Environmental Conservation seeks a court order to block the landfill’s proposed expansion on the grounds that unabated landfill odors violate its neighbors’ constitutional right to breathe clean air.
The complaint was filed in Albany County Supreme Court by two environmental groups, two businesses and two individuals who claim to have been harmed by odors that are both extremely annoying and potentially hazardous to their health.
“Any approval of SMI’s proposed expansion by NYSDEC would continue and exacerbate the existing nuisance experienced by the plaintiffs, as well as the substantial interference to the rights of the public at large in violation of the Green Amendment,” the complaint alleges.
SMI, the state’s largest landfill, is running out of space. Its DEC-issued state permit expires in December 2025. It has applied to the agency for a new permit to add 47 acres of new landfill liner area and to increase its height by 69.5 feet — enough to provide the capacity to continue operations through 2040."
Peter Mantius reports for Inside Climate News March 25, 2024.
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