Seneca Meadows Landfill
Encyclopedia
Seneca Meadows, owned by Seneca Meadows, Inc. (SMI) is a landfill
located near Seneca Falls
, New York, in the Town of Waterloo
, with almost 400 acres (161.9 ha) of landfill and a 2600 acres (1,052.2 ha) facility. It is the largest active landfill in New York State, as well as Seneca County
's fourth largest industrial employer. At peak times, they employ over 160 full-time workers. In 2005, it accepted over 6,000 tons of garbage a day from multiple states (then three). The height limit was 280 feet (85.3 m). Methane
gas is sent to a nearby independent facility for producing electricity, some of which Seneca Meadows buys back for their own power needs. Seneca Meadows began producing gas for electricity in 1995, then producing 2.4 Megawatts. Today it produces 18 Megawatts, enough to power 15,000 to 18,000 homes. Seneca Meadows parent company, IESI Corporation, claims that the revenue of the landfill is around $48 million.
The landfill accepts trash from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It will continue its operation through at least 2023.
The site was first created in 1953 and owned by the Tantello Corporation. This was closed some 30 years later as the groundwater was found to be contaminated as at that time there were no regulations on what could be disposed of in a landfill. This led to a $22 million clean-up and a site in the middle of the facility which is still left undisturbed.
Seneca Meadows recycles about two million tires a year, making it one of the largest tire recyclers in the country. The tires are chopped up and the chips used in place of stone for drainage.
In 2007, a 181 acre (0.73248166 km²) expansion was added that was estimated to provide 14 years of landfilling.
In 2009, Seneca Meadows opened its Environmental Education Center, a LEED
Gold Certified building, which uses geothermal heat. Environmental related courses and labs for area schools are held there by the Audubon Society staff. The building was part of a wetland creation project which the landfill was required to do because natural wetland was taken by the landfill during expansion. The amount and extensiveness of the wetland created, however, was far beyond the minimum requirement, exceeding 1,000 acres in total.
In a recent debate between the two State Senators, Senator Edward O'Shea questioned his Republican counterpart Mike Nozzolio for accepting a $4,000 campaign donation from Seneca Meadows who is lobbying for permission to dig a controversial clay mine in Waterloo.
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
located near Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls (town), New York
Seneca Falls is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 9,347 at the 2000 census.The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls...
, New York, in the Town of Waterloo
Waterloo (town), New York
Waterloo is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2000 census. The town, as well as its major community, are named after Waterloo, Belgium. The current Town Supervisor is James Mooney and the current Town Clerk is Louise Van Nostrand.The Town of Waterloo...
, with almost 400 acres (161.9 ha) of landfill and a 2600 acres (1,052.2 ha) facility. It is the largest active landfill in New York State, as well as Seneca County
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
's fourth largest industrial employer. At peak times, they employ over 160 full-time workers. In 2005, it accepted over 6,000 tons of garbage a day from multiple states (then three). The height limit was 280 feet (85.3 m). Methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas is sent to a nearby independent facility for producing electricity, some of which Seneca Meadows buys back for their own power needs. Seneca Meadows began producing gas for electricity in 1995, then producing 2.4 Megawatts. Today it produces 18 Megawatts, enough to power 15,000 to 18,000 homes. Seneca Meadows parent company, IESI Corporation, claims that the revenue of the landfill is around $48 million.
The landfill accepts trash from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It will continue its operation through at least 2023.
The site was first created in 1953 and owned by the Tantello Corporation. This was closed some 30 years later as the groundwater was found to be contaminated as at that time there were no regulations on what could be disposed of in a landfill. This led to a $22 million clean-up and a site in the middle of the facility which is still left undisturbed.
Seneca Meadows recycles about two million tires a year, making it one of the largest tire recyclers in the country. The tires are chopped up and the chips used in place of stone for drainage.
In 2007, a 181 acre (0.73248166 km²) expansion was added that was estimated to provide 14 years of landfilling.
In 2009, Seneca Meadows opened its Environmental Education Center, a LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Gold Certified building, which uses geothermal heat. Environmental related courses and labs for area schools are held there by the Audubon Society staff. The building was part of a wetland creation project which the landfill was required to do because natural wetland was taken by the landfill during expansion. The amount and extensiveness of the wetland created, however, was far beyond the minimum requirement, exceeding 1,000 acres in total.
In a recent debate between the two State Senators, Senator Edward O'Shea questioned his Republican counterpart Mike Nozzolio for accepting a $4,000 campaign donation from Seneca Meadows who is lobbying for permission to dig a controversial clay mine in Waterloo.