Currently, Sullivan County transports its waste to Seneca Meadows landfill in northern New York, costing the county around $10 million annually. 

Seneca Meadows is seeking state approval for an expansion due to dwindling capacity, but there’s no assurance that the state will grant this request. As a result, the counties that rely on this landfill are exploring alternative solutions.

Sullivan County has developed a draft Local Solid Waste Management Plan, exceeding 450 pages. This plan proposes various strategies to enhance environmentally friendly waste disposal, including the expansion of a countywide composting initiative. Additionally, it recommends three feasibility studies to explore new waste management methods: an efficiency assessment of current practices, the potential for privatization, and the construction of a "waste-to-energy facility" in Sullivan County.

However, environmental advocates are raising concerns about the waste-to-energy option, describing it as "greenwashing" for what is essentially an incinerator.

We spoke with Rebekah Creshkoff, a retired communications professional and co-founder of Beyond Plastics Sullivan County NY, along with Barbara Arrindell, Chair and Chief Science Officer of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, to discuss the proposed solutions for managing the county’s growing waste problem.

We should note that Damascus Citizens is a business supporter of Radio Catskill.