Town Board Approves Landfill Consent Order
By Doug La Rocque and Amy Modesti
For nearly two years the towns of Berlin and Petersburgh, through their environmental attorney Kevin Young, have been negotiating with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), over how to handle the PFOA contaminated leachate running out of the landfill the two towns shared until it was closed in the mid-1990s. DEC indicated if the two towns don’t sign onto a plan to contain this leachate before the end of the month, the landfill could be declared a state superfund site, something neither municipality wants to see happen.
The Berlin Board opened its Thursday, February 13 meeting by entering into executive session to discuss the consent order worked out by Mr. Young, as well as an agreement with Covanta (the successor to Energy Answers, the firm hired to close the landfill) and an agreement with Taconic, the company understood to be the source of at least some of the pollution.
According to Supervisor Rob Jaeger, a vote taken in the executive session, the results of which are public record, was 4 to 0 to approve the consent order. A settlement with Covanta which includes a $200,000 payment toward the cost of the cleanup, was approved by a vote of 3-1.
A vote to accept a $250,000 grant from Taconic Inc. was a 2-2 tie, so it was not accepted, at least for now. According to Mr. Jaeger, he anticipates a full five-person Board present for the Thursday, February 27 meeting, at which the matter of the Taconic Inc. grant will most likely be re-voted on.
Approval of the consent order allows the towns to administer the cleanup efforts themselves. If they decline to sign the order DEC will put the landfill on the State Superfund list, and the State will take charge of the cleanup process. By all accounts, this could be much more expensive for the towns. The Town of Petersburgh was set to act on the matter on Monday, February 17. Please see the story on page 1 for more information on Petersburgh’s deliberations.
Other Board News
In light of the lengthy executive session, the Board moved through its routine business expediently, approving department head and committee reports. One item noted is that DEC is apparently in the process of acquiring land that is subject to a tax foreclosure. It would fill in a gap in the state owned land along the Taconic Ridge. The Taconic Forest is currently located to the north and south of the property in question.
A Little Help, Please
Bud Hall, the lead attendant at the town’s transfer station, is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure later this month and will be out for a few weeks. The Town is currently seeking someone to help out during this time period. If interested, please contact the Town Clerk.