Referred to:  The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Hansut, Levine, Maloney, and Stewart)

Legislator Kevin A. Roberts offer the following:

WHEREAS, in 1991, the County of Ulster and the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) prepared a local solid waste management plan pursuant to the provisions of Environmental Conservation Law §§ 27-0106 and 27-0107 in order to define the County's policies with respect to solid waste management; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the County, in accordance with the solid waste management policies of the State of New York, to reduce the amount of solid waste generated; reuse material for the purpose for which it was originally intended or recycle material that cannot be reused; recover energy from solid waste that cannot be economically or technically reused or recycled; and dispose of solid waste that is not being reused, recycled or from which energy is not being recovered by land burial or other means approved by law; and

WHEREAS, the Agency's mission is to provide an efficient, economical and environmentally sound solid waste management system in and for the County of Ulster by carrying out the principles of New York's solid waste hierarchy in its work, emphasizing reuse of materials, reduction of municipal solid waste (MSW), and the carrying out of an effective and user-friendly recycling program, with landfill disposal of MSW that cannot be reused, reduced or recycled; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature has determined that a long-term solution to the disposal of Ulster County’s solid waste is necessary; and

WHEREAS, currently Ulster County’s waste is still being transported 240 miles each way to Seneca Meadows Landfill at approximately 35 tons a truckload, for a total of 90,000+ tons annually; and

WHEREAS, the current cost to transport solid waste is approximately $9,000,000.00; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Local Solid Waste Management Plan, crafted with input from the Ulster County Legislature, calls for a feasibility study to recognize all costs associated with permitting, designing, and construction of a landfill; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature is determined to bring all the stakeholders together to solve this problem jointly, including but not limited to, the Legislature, County Executive, Town Supervisors, UCRRA and even neighboring counties to create a solution for solid waste management; and

WHEREAS, any solution to the Solid Waste Crisis may cost upwards to $30-$40 million dollars, and since the Agency is limited to bond for over $500,000, this endeavor will require a bonding action by the Ulster County Legislature; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature is committed to solving the Solid Waste Crisis; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature request that the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency Board of Directors terminate all landfill feasibility studies immediately, and cease from doing any studies in the future,         

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:      

Passed Committee: Energy, Environment and Sustainability on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE