TOWN OF PORTER, N.Y. (WKBW) — A fight over a proposed landfill in the Niagara County Town of Porter has been going on for more than 20 years, and now a judge is recommending that approval of the landfill be denied.
Some members of the Niagara County Legislature are calling this a big victory in the fight to keep CWM from opening the landfill at the current waste management site it operates in the town.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley heard from both sides in this landfill battle.
“I assure you, we are not putting PCBs and toxic substances into the Niagara River. It's highly regulated,” explained Lori Caso, the public affairs manager for Waste Management in Upstate New York.
When I asked Caso her for a response regarding the ongoing opposition against creating another landfill at this site, she invited me onto the property, denying they would dump toxins into the nearby waterways.
WATCH: Niagara County landfill fight continues two decades later
“There's nothing liquid that goes into the landfill. We take soils contaminated with lead or PCBs. This is all very, very important when you do brownfield cleanups or other environmental cleanups in the area,” Caso stated.
Waste Management operates more than 700 acres of land in the Town of Porter, but only a portion of it is used for landfills. “This is the most highly regulated site in New York State. Nothing goes into the Niagara River without being tested and retested and tested,” described Caso.
Niagara County Legislator Rebecca Wydysh tells me she disagrees and fears for the health of the community.
“There is no need for another landfill to be opened. That’s exactly what is said in the 220-page decision – that there is no need for that facility,” Wydysh reacted.
The county lawmaker, chair of the Niagara County Legislature, says they have been fighting against another landfill for 20 years. Wydysh says the hearing judge's decision is a huge step forward.
“This is a big, big win for us to know that after hours and hours of endless you know, testimony by experts, that the hearing officer has written a 220-page decision saying that he believes that this should not be approved and should not move forward,” Wydysh replied.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the state's Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Board must approve the landfill, and a federal permit would need to be issued by the EPA.
“The community should know that every 'I' has been dotted and every ‘T' has been crossed to make sure that this is a safe operating landfill,” remarked Caso.
Niagara County lawmakers are urging residents to educate themselves about this topic so that they can understand the potential effects it could have on their community.
“It's not an okay place. There are a lot of families living right in that area,” Wydysh commented.
