Clear bags at the landfill?

Political considerations loom large

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — With only 19 months worth of space left at the landfill, and no final decision on the expansion expected in the near future, garbage is looming larger than ever as an issue among county legislators.

At a meeting at the government center on August 14, lawmakers generally agreed that a much more aggressive recycling program needs to be part of the county’s future. What was not agreed upon, however, was whether the county should move forward on its own or try to gain the cooperation of the supervisors and mayors of the towns and villages.

The issue that was addressed most directly was a requirement that all garbage deposited in the landfill must be contained in clear plastic bags. This would make enforcement of the county’s recycling laws much easier and result in a large reduction in the amount of waste that goes into the landfill. Lawmaker Kathy LaBuda said lawmakers should consult with town supervisors before considering a clear-bag mandate.

Lawmaker Jodi Goodman said that town supervisors were not likely to support the clear plastic bag agenda because it would be politically unpopular. She noted that after the Village of Liberty instituted a clear bag policy, it became the major issue in the next mayoral election. Mayor Rube Smith, who pushed the policy through, nearly lost his seat, retaining it with only a four-vote margin.

Lawmakers Alan Sorensen and Frank Armstrong expressed the view that the county should take responsibility for implementing the policy. Armstrong said, “If we’re waiting for someone else to do it, we’re dropping the ball,” though he added that ultimately it is individuals who will need to make the change.

Lawmaker David Sager agreed with LaBuda that, before mandating the policy, the supervisors should be consulted. LaBuda, who is chairperson of the Public Works Committee, said she would bring up the matter at the next supervisors’ meeting, which is scheduled for August 22.

The conversation came at the end of a lengthy discussion about the landfill that was sparked, in part, by six residents who turned out to complain that the smell from the facility was once again causing them distress.

Toby Lokshin, a resident of Mountain Lodge Estates, a community that has been forcefully fighting the proposed expansion of the landfill, said, “This summer, the smells are so bad we cannot keep our windows open.” Other residents echoed the charge.

John Kehlenbeck, the director of solid waste management, said landfill employees had been unable to pin down the cause of the odors that had been reported, perhaps, because of their “transient nature.”